by Oliver Tuson
The track disappeared into the mouth of a cave. Its low ceiling would have made it impossible for the drones to have detected at their high altitude. Clark could just make out the metal surface of a large sliding door that was set into the rock at the very back of the cave. Large enough to fit a vehicle through. The rest of bravo jumped down and fell beside him, one by one leaping up and taking in the peculiar sight before them.
The sound of more gunfire snatched their attention back to the village. Clarke glanced down the track where the survivors were now clear of the buildings but still fighting their way towards them up the track. The creatures continued to emerge from between the buildings. Kicking up dust as they dashed towards the men who fired back towards the weak points on the creatures.
Clarke looked back at the large door hidden in the cave. Whatever is in there is safer than out here, he thought as he shouted at his men. “Jasper get that door open now! Rest of you, on me!” As Jasper ran towards the door, the rest of bravo sprinted down the track until Clarke stopped them. “Hold them here!” The team stopped half way between the cave and the fleeing soldiers. They all dropped to one knee, then from a solid firing position opened up a hail of well-aimed covering fire towards the survivors further down who were now sprinting towards them.
Clarkes breathing was ragged in the heat and the exhaustion of the sprint as he tried to control his body and make each shot count. He saw more and more creatures flooding out from around the buildings, racing onto the five men running towards him.
Millerchip was moving, pushing Frost onwards, who was limping badly from his injury. Clarke aimed past them to another creature closing in. He fired. Sparks flying off its stone shell. He adjusted his aim. Then fired into its thick legs. Blood sprayed out on to the dry sand as it stumbled forward. It roared in pain then limped on towards Millerchip, who fired his pistol over his shoulder as he sprinted towards Bravo.
“Take their legs!” Clarke shouted at his team, who all adjusted their fire.
More and more creatures slowed or fell as the survivors reached bravo’s line of covering fire. Clarke felt the tide of the fight change as more of the soldiers joined his line and now sent an organised storm of bullets towards the deadly creatures. Each shooter aiming at the weak and vulnerable points of the beasts not protected by rock. Millerchip finally reached Clarke, supporting Frost as he went. All the soldiers were together again. “We got this! Just keep it up!”
Movement erupted to out of the corner of his eye as the rock came alive, leaping forward on to a member of charlie team. The creature slashed at his torso and face until it was a bloody mess. “Fuck!” More movement to the sides. More creatures emerging from out of nowhere. The line of fire that was slowing the creatures from the buildings deteriorated as the soldiers turned to face the closer threat now ambushing them. The creatures rushing from the village took the opportunity. No longer under fire, they were now at full pace again, racing towards the men with snarling jaws.
Clarke looked around. They were getting hit from three sides. Ambushed once again. Thrown back into chaos as death closed in. He prayed Jasper had opened that door, and whatever was beyond could offer them protection.
“We got to go!” Shouted Clarke. “Move up towards the cave! Fire manoeuvre!” The group attempted to get into an organised firing line. The six soldiers fired towards the mass of creatures surrounding them. “Move!” The first three leaped up and raced ten meters back towards the cave then turned dropped to one knee and fired towards the creatures, covering their comrades. “Move!”
The next three jumped up and raced back past the others then turned and fired. “Move!” The constant hail of gunfire took effect. Three soldiers always firing well aimed calculated shots that covered their comrades. The creatures slowed, but didn’t stop, thought Clarke as he shouted to move again and sprinted back. His breath was ragged. The dry dusty air making him feel dehydrated and sluggish.
“Move!” He aimed down his sights and sent a round smashing directly into a creature's underbelly. It stumbled forward as a gush of bright red blood shot out as it smashed into the ground. Satisfied, Clarke aimed again. But to his horror, the creature staggered up again and moved forward. Blood running freely from its wound leaving a trail in the sand as it kept coming. Nothing was stopping them.
The men kept up the retreat until they hit the cave entrance a few moments later. Clarke let out a shout of relief as he saw Jasper stood by the open door. He had it open only a meter, ready to close it quickly behind them. He rushed up to him, turned and covered the rest of the men hurtling towards the safety of the door.
The creatures sped up as less guns were firing in the tight cave. Hawkins and Millerchip sprinted through the door, immediately followed by Sanchez who was almost carrying Frost, his leg wound slowing him down. Williams was next, launching himself into the open door. Clarke fired more shots to cover the final solider, Richardson.
Richardson could sense the pack of creatures closing in. He turned and fired whilst running backwards until the weapon ran dry. No time to reload. He dropped it and pulled a grenade from his assault vest. The creatures were only a few meters away, bursting in to the small mouth of the cave. He pulled the pin from the grenade and brought his arm back ready to hurl it towards the creatures.
As he did, he just caught the movement above him. The rock of the ceiling erupting to life. Richardson just had time to scream in rage as the creature dropped on top of him, claws and teeth instantly finding his flesh. The mass of pursuing creatures pounded over him as his world started turning black.
The last thing he saw was the grenade rolling across the dark cave’s floor amongst the creatures’ clawed feet, towards the door where Jasper was trying desperately to pull Clarke into safety.
9
Trapped
15:05, 15th August 2003
Cave Entrance, Ahmed’s Grid Reference, Northern Iraq
Jasper kept pulling aggressively at Clarke’s shoulders trying to get him to safety. The desperate tugging causing the bravo leader to stumble backwards through the door. All the while he watched helplessly as the creatures tore and slashed at the dying body of Richardson, whilst more flooded past, only a few heart beats from reaching the door. With Clarke falling backwards and clear of the door, Jasper slammed the door shut a millisecond before the first creature hit it and the grenade detonated.
The blast was loud and shook the metallic door violently. The thud of the closest creature smashing against it combined with the vibrations of the explosion made Jasper stagger back. Dust crept through the cracks as the shrapnel from the grenade pinged harmlessly off the other side. Then silence.
Jasper let out a sigh as he leant back against the door catching his breath. By his feet, Clarke was slowly pulling himself back up with a groan. Then he heard it. A series of explosions rumbling from the other side of the door which suddenly creaked and groaned as the whole cave walls and ceiling came smashing down. “Run!” He screamed as he felt the door start to buckle under the weight of the collapsing mountain cave in. He broke into a sprint behind the other survivors as the door finally gave up. Boulders and rocks came flooding in like the sea washing up on a beach. Within a few meters of running the dust cloud overtook the group making them disappear. Jasper felt rocks hitting him before his legs got caught up in the sea of rubble causing him to trip and hit the ground hard. Covering his head with his arms, he closed his eyes as the rocks flowed over and covered him. He couldn’t move. Trapped under the weight that pressed down relentlessly on his body. Panicked clawed at him as he thought of dying. Crushed under the pressure of the mountain. Seconds later, the sounds of the rocks finally stopped. Just a few lose stones tumbling down.
I'm alive! He thought to himself as he blinked open his eyes. The darkness was intense in caparison to the blinding Iraqi sun. Panic kept eating into his mind as he tried unsuccessfully to move. Rocks pushed down on his chest making his breathing difficult. Each breath he took needed more and more effort.
More and more concentration. His mouth was dry and full of grit causing him to cough in the dusty air, adding to the sense of suffocation he felt.
He strained for breath again trying to figure out his situation. What the hell caused that? His mind tried going over it. A grenade wasn’t strong enough to collapse the cave? And those extra explosions? A series of explosions? He heard the sounds of rocks moving and his mind was dragged back to those creatures. And what on earth were those? Those things that decimated the group of soldiers. “Fuck…” He coughed the simple word into the darkness with his last few breaths. His breathing becoming impossible under the mass of rocks.
The sound of more rocks moving grew louder. The vibrations of the movement coming through to him. No way any of those creatures survived, he thought as the sound of more rocks moving filled his ears. He struggled again to move, panic increasing as the thought of one of those things getting through to him played in his mind. “Fuck!” The sound got closer. Dust and small stones raining down from between the heavy larger rocks above. All his energy was gone from struggling under the weight. His breathing finally growing very shallow. Another rumble of rocks and a crack of light suddenly shone through making him blink hard. Whatever it was, it was close, he thought as he closed his eyes helplessly in the confined space expecting death.
“Jasper! Come on buddy!” Hawkins! Jasper tried to answer but the dry dust just made him cough violently.
“Jasper! I hear you man!” More rocks were pulled aside until eventually Hawkins’ flash light was illuminating his head. “Here, I got him!” Hawkins cried out. The sound of moving rocks increased as Sanchez and Clarke joined in digging the solider out. “Hang in there buddy!” Hawkins said as he finally freed enough rock to grip at Jasper’s arm and pull it free. Jasper felt the weight ease off his chest. He took a deep breath finally able to breathe again.
A few moments later Clarke and Hawkins were pulling him out whilst Sanchez was straight over him checking for broken bones. “I'm good, I’m good,” he said softly as he rubbed the dust from his eyes and used his bruised and battered ribs to take long deep breaths.
“Thought you were done for Jas.” Sanchez finally said as he offered a hand to pull him up, satisfied he hadn’t broken anything. “Me too buddy.” Jasper looked around at the sight before him. The corridor was pitch black except for the beams of bright lights from a few of the survivor's torches. The entrance was completely caved in. A wall of solid rubble was all that remained. If he was a little bit slower, he would have been buried deep in there and no way could they have saved him he thought with a sense of relief. He looked towards the other end where the corridor extended out into the darkness ahead.
“Shit… take it easy man!” Frost said through gritted teeth. He was sitting up against the wall as Williams was using his medic skills to try and stop the wound on his leg from bleeding. “I'm doing my best brother, just hold on a second.” Williams kept going. Working past the protests of the solider. Applying thick field dressings that soaked up the blood and tried to stop the bleeding.
“And… done.” Williams knelt up looking at the injury. It was bad. The creature had dug its claws deep into his flesh from the top of his thigh almost to his knee. Field bandages now covered it in an attempt to stop the bleeding. But Williams knew it was bad. He expected the blood to be seeping through soon and have to redress it again.
“I've done what I can but we need to get him out of here. Back to field hospital… and quick.” He said whilst placing a comforting hand on Frost’s shoulder, knowing the man was well aware of his dire situation. He looked up at Millerchip who was in the process of bandaging his own arm. Clarke, having finished helping Jasper moved to help him and tied off the final part of the dressing. Millerchip nodded his agreement of the medic's assessment of the situation. With Clarke finished, he gestured with his torch towards the impassable wall of rocks. “No way we are getting through there.”
“Even if we can… those things will tear us to pieces out there.” Clarke added as he examined the front line of rocks. The group of soldiers went quiet as the realisation of recent events hit them all.
“What the fuck were those things?” Frost said through a pained voice whilst looking at his leg. The first spots of blood showing through the dressing already.
“Those animals decimated us in minutes!” Williams added, his voice trembling slightly thinking about the close encounter they had had with them.
“They weren’t fucking animals man! Those things… those things were fucking monsters!” Hawkins replied, his usual enthusiasm for things gone. “Mutants?” Williams offered in return.
“Animals… monsters… mutants! Either way, they fucked us man! They are all dead. Johnson, Dove… Richardson! Fuck! They are all gone!” Frost’s voice was beginning to sound hysterical. “And those bodies! All piled up in that building? What animal is capable of that!” He went to continue but stopped as a wave of pain washed over him. He clutched his leg in response and let out a soft groan.
No one said anything for a moment. The silence giving all the men time to think briefly.
“Either way, whatever those fuckers are out there, they can't get to us now.” Clarke added in a calming voice as he kicked the wall of rock to emphasise his point. He looked at each man in turn. The last thing they needed was panic. “We need to focus on getting him out.” He nodded to Frost who just looked down in helpless frustration, feeling like a burden to his comrades already.
“Where are we? What is this place?” Clarke asked almost to himself as he turned and faced the darkness of the corridor that stretched out before them. The group stared into the darkness for a few moments.
“Only one way to find out boss…” Hawkins said as he picked up his assault rifle and checked the magazine. His usual enthusiasm in his voice beginning to return. “Hold on a second cowboy.” Sanchez replied, stopping the younger solider from walking off into the unknown darkness.
Clarke took a deep breath as he stared into the black abyss, his mind racing to catch up with everything. The recent assault on the building and the capture of Ahmed. Followed by the immediate crash and ambush that nearly killed them. Then the sniper shot that led to the death of the weapons specialist. And the grid reference. This grid reference! And now this. Ambushed by monsters and trapped behind a hidden door in the mountain. None of it felt right… or real!
He looked at the remains of alpha and charlie team. The missing members making him think back to his promise to never a lose a member again. It had been close. Five dead soldiers from Task Force 64 lay the other side of that wall of rock. Only luck had kept his men alive. Luck that they were on overwatch and not investigating the village below. I have to keep them safe! He thought as he unconsciously balled his fists.
Sanchez must have read his mind as he approached his team leader. “We are all good Clarke.”
“We’re not taking any risks. This whole mission isn’t right.” He said, finally taking his eyes off the corridor and back to his team. I’ll go and investigate and see what's ahead. You all stay here. Help the wounded and check over the ammo.” Clarke went to pick up his rifle that had been dropped after the cave in.
“Bullshit boss.” Hawkins was in front of him. His face betraying the rage he felt towards his leader. “You're not sidelining us.”
“You’ll do as ordered for a change Hawkins!” Clarke said stepping up to the young man as his emotions got the better of him. The thoughts of the solider taking risks in the building and assault threatening his promise. The promise he made over the deaths of his friends and former team members. The weight of the failure he felt suddenly surging back to him.
“Whatever is going on in your head from the past is on you Clarke, but you're not going down there alone and leaving us here!” Hawkins shouted too aggressively at Clarke who steeped even closer towards the young man. Sanchez quickly stepped in between them. His huge frame separating the two men. “No one else is dying!” Clarke shouted over Sanchez who
raised his arms to push the two apart more. “That's not your call Clarke! We all signed up to fight!” Hawkins spat back, his temper boiling as he tried to push past Sanchez. The huge Scotsman held him back whilst trying to calm him.
“I made a promise…” Clarke said, but instantly trailed off. The sight of Sanchez beginning to restrain Hawkins making him realise how quickly things were escalating. Clarke stepped back with his palms up. Indicating he was calming down.
“Hawkins… take a minute,” Sanchez said to his friend who looked him in the eyes with anger. “Please…” the scotsman added in a softer tone as he gently pushed the solider back. Hawkins nodded his head slowly and went to check on Frost. More for something to occupy himself with than for the benefit of the solider who sat against the wall.
Sanchez walked up to Clarke who had taken a few steps away from the group. Further into the corridor.
“We are all in this together boss. We need to work as a team. You can't be trying to keep us safe like this.” He looked around and saw the others listening to their conversation and lowered his voice. “I know you have some issues Clarke…”
Although Sanchez spoke in his most diplomatic tone, his superior still glared at the man. “And that's ok. You want to talk about them, you can. You don't, then don't. But whatever happens from now… we have got to be in this together.” Sanchez took a few steps back as Clarke let out a deep breath. “We are all professionals, and all signed up to fight, regardless of the outcome.”
“Fine.” Clarke replied with a faint nod of his head. He looked over to where Hawkins now stood and gave a slight nod. Although he wasn’t sure if it was an apology or ceasefire. He looked to Millerchip who clutched at his wounded arm. The man was still in command of the unit. “Priorities?” Clarke asked openly, changing the conversation quickly.