Wrath of the Carnelians (Europa)

by Jason Gehlert

  “I was a rifle marksman in the Marines,” Bud said, squinting through the scope. “Now, I suggest each of you pay attention to the surrounding areas,” Bud hinted. “Black has more men hiding in the trees, brush and caves than anywhere else on the planet.”

  “In other words, keep our eyes and ears wide open,” Shaw suggested.

  “Don’t we need weapons?” Kaspar asked.

  “Stay close to me and you won’t need them,” Bud instructed. “Once we get back to the Apollo we can raid the armory.”

  Bud positioned himself and stared through the scope at the rustling vines in the distance. “Hold tight, we’re about to have visitors,” Bud said.

  Black’s fingers separated the vines, poking his disfigured face towards the diminishing sunlight’s weakening embrace. “I feel wonderful,” he whispered, clutching the reins to his dogs. “I can feel the darkness charging my soul.” His eyes darted around the calm river. “This is where I lose him all the time,” Black circled around the water’s edge, kicking in various sized stones. He glared up at the hilltop, straining with his eye to gain the upper hand.

  Bud saw Black’s eye staring directly back at him through the scope. Jarred by the eerie moment, Bud shifted his right boot, accidentally scraping against several small rocks.

  The Doberman’s shifted their ears, picking up on the faint noise coming from the hilltop.

  “This is where you lose who?” Cole asked, walking up behind Black.

  “Stephens, that crafty bastard,” Black took a moment before looking away from the hilltop’s peak.

  “Weren’t the two of you friends at one time?” Cole curiously mused.

  “Yeah, we shared the bulk of the responsibilities in preparing the Apollo for departure. But, our history goes back deeper than that.” Black squeezed his hands inside the black gloves, tightening each finger until a hard fist was made.

  “I was unaware of that Sir,” Cole said.

  Black circled his hand around, flashing two fingers then four from his left hand. His right hand remained wrapped around the bloody leash.

  Cole shifted his head about, nodding in compliance. He titled his head towards Hans. “Get the gliders ready.” Hans tapped Lon on the shoulder and the two soldiers evacuated back through the vines and headed for the caves.

  “Shit, he’s stalling,” Bud said. “He knows we’re here.” Bud tightened his finger on the trigger. “Two men left, but that still leaves Black, Cole and another foot soldier.”

  “Can you take them out?” Shaw peeked through the brush.

  “Not all of them. I only have enough ammunition for three shots.”

  “Dwight Stephens was my Commanding officer in the Marines,” Black began the story. “We were on a mission in the Indian Ocean.”

  “What happened?”

  “Back in 2003, we were paired up the United States Army,” Black recounted the mission. “We were on orders from the President, and stationed off Port Louis in the Indian Ocean.”

  “What was the mission all about?” Cole had a minor interest in the story.

  “A small town in South Africa,” Black continued, “Natas, I believe was the name.”

  “And you were the backup plan?” Cole hesitated with the question, careful not to damage Black’s already expanding ego.

  “Captain Nathaniel Logan and Lieutenant Jonathan Garrison were the main players on that stage. On the orders of the President they entered the virus-stricken colony in order to quarantine the colonists and attempt bringing back the cure if necessary.” Black continued to walk across the water’s edge. “Stephens and I, along with countless other Marines, were ready to move in case Logan failed with the mission. We received word later on from a General Murdock that the threat had been neutralized and our services were no longer required.”

  “That all sounds pretty damn boring to me,” Cole waved over to Kai to join the group.

  “We encountered some insurgents in the Port and Stephens saved my life,” Black added.

  “So, you want him dead or alive?” Cole reached for his Plasma weapon.

  “Dead.”

  “Are you sure? Isn’t he still a friend?”

  “That was in the past. Each of us has decided what side to play on. He decided to stay and fight for the survivors. I, on the other hand, fight to survive.”

  “I see,” Cole admired Black’s lack of emotion.

  “And, I possess the ultimate bargaining chip for Stephens,” Black sparked a wry grin.

  “Which is?”

  “I have his family,” Black said gripping the leash. “So, he knows not to fuck with me otherwise he’ll never find his family again.”

  “I’m sure he will, he seems to be a resilient soldier.” Cole turned and shared his plan with Kai.

  “Only I know the location of his precious little family,” Black said turning back to hilltop. “Susan,” he paused, attempting to ruffle Bud’s feathers. “Tyler! Joe!” Black continued his verbal rampage. “And the greatest prize of all, his sweet daughter, Trisha!” Black stared at the hilltop, seeking Bud’s position. “Come on Stephens, hit me!” Black raised his hands.

  Kai’s mouth exploded with blood from the visceral impact. His fell to his knees, teetering, then collapsed in the shallow water, a steady steam of red blood spiraling down the river.

  “I’m striking a nerve,” Black yelled, his voice clung to the thick, humid air.

  “Holy shit!” Cole watched in horror as Kai’s dead body finally stopped quivering in the water. “Did you see that?” Cole turned to face Black. “This guy is almost as fucking nuts as you are!” Cole felt something tear his left leg, imploding his femoral artery. Wavering, he clutched his leg, attempting to stop the rush of blood escaping from the wound.

  “Now, see what you’ve done?” Black cursed, spreading his coarse language among his men. . “You’ll be fine.” Black turned and knocked Cole to the ground. “Sit down, and clamp down on the bleeding,” Black insisted.

  “What if he shoots me again?” Cole barked, his fingers covered in blood. A small Carnelian escaped from the open wound, and ran across the ground before Black stepped on it with his foot, squeezing the alien’s contents all over the ground.

  “This is what I will do to you Stephens!” Black displayed his rage. “Relax, if my calculations are correct, he only has one more bullet left, and he’s not going to waste another on you. He’s saving it for me.”

  “I’m starting to feel a bit dizzy,” Cole wavered in and out of consciousness. “Won’t these aliens inside of me heal my wounds?”

  “Yeah, about that,” Black leaned over and stared at Cole’s shifting pupils. He withdrew his pistol and crammed the nozzle against the side of Cole’s head. “Your Carnelians aren’t fully matured, as say mine are. So, you are on the shitty end of the stick when it comes to regeneration.”

  “What are you doing?” Cole’s body shivered against the cold steel of Black’s pistol.

  “I’m a realist, and I really don’t like sharing my share of the universe.” Black pulled back on the trigger, expelling the round at Cole’s forehead.

  Cole’s body jerked at a meek angle, slipping to the ground, a fresh mixture of red and blue blood gushing from his forehead.

  “Stephens!” Black dropped the leash to the ground, setting free his dogs. “You are pushing me to make irrational decisions!” Black surveyed the scene, taking in the grisly scene. Many of his men were left dead from the attack. “You will pay for this. You can count on it.”

  Ambush Part I

  “This guy’s officially off his fucking rocker.” Shaw muffled his voice.

  “Yeah, he’s few clicks off the ol’ compass,” Bud secured the rifle and surveyed the area. “He’s tempting me,” Bud said with a crack of his neck.

  “Your letting him.” Gillian closed the distance between her and Bud.

  “We have a long and highly violate history,” Bud added. “The very, very, long story shortened dates back in 2003, we were on a mi
ssion in the Indian Ocean, right off Port Louis.”

  “What happened?” Gillian prodded the Marine to continue the story.

  “Some of the insurgents ambushed our encampment, and I, as the Sergeant of my Marine Corps, I saved the life of my second-in-command, Corporal Kenneth Black.”

  “And this is how he repays you?” Shaw fumed.

  “He has my family hostage somewhere on the planet, and only he knows where they are. If I kill him, I lose any chance at finding my wife and daughter.”

  “And that’s what he wants,“ paused Kaspar, “he wants the end game.” Kaspar rattled his head to the right. “Did anyone else hear that?”

  From over the mountain top, three gliders swarmed across the jungle’s landscape. Hovering over the foursome, several lines dropped from the bellies of the flying machines. About a half-dozen soldiers landed on the ground, guns in hand, ready to kill on command. Black’s sinister pack of Doberman’s raced up the hill, and offered no escape route for Bud and his men.

  Hans turned his head sideways. “We have them in custody Sir,” he rejoiced in taking his new prisoners.

  Walking over to Bud, he kicked the Marine’s legs out from under him sending the elder of the foursome crashing to the ground. “Don’t be a hero.” Hans lifted the rifle from Bud’s tight grasp and threw it over to one of his henchmen. “Black wants to have a conversation with you,” Hans sneered, his veins popped loose from his skin, forcing some of the prisoners to look away. “Now, this is a nice rifle,” Hans said while he inspected the pristine weapon. And, it’s custom made? I can’t wait to add it to my fine collection.”

  One by one, Shaw, Gillian and Kaspar were forced to the ground, hands tied behind their backs and marched down the dirt path to the small clearing below.

  “Well, well, well,” Black repeated at the sight of Bud being marched down the path and across the shallow water. “I’m glad you could crash the party.”

  “Get on it with it,” Shaw snapped back.

  Black’s attention quickly diverted to the feisty Lieutenant’s crackling mouth. “I don’t like this one,” Black said, making his way over to Shaw. Black’s men forced Shaw down on his knees, displacing the water. Black unloaded with a vicious jab, plowing his fist into Shaw’s mid-section. “Any more sly remarks?” Black craned his neck to the side and titled his angle at Shaw, staring him directly in the face.

  “You hit like a girl,” Shaw remarked, while he drumming up a wad of spit in his throat.

  “We have a comedian,” Black again unloaded on Shaw, splitting open Shaw’s lips, spilling blood across the water.

  “Are you done yet?” Shaw refused to break underneath Black’s punishment, spitting on the Commander’s muddy black boots..

  “Listen, it’s me that you want, leave them out of it,” Bud interceded on Shaw’s behalf. Bud’s heavy breathing had taken a toll on his heart. The men corralled him corralled in an awkward disposition, bending his arms behind his back using the brunt force of a rifle.

  “As you know Sergeant, in war, there are always casualties,” Black returned his attention back to his old friend. “Now, I must applaud you for your expert marksmanship at taking out two of my toughest men,” Black referred to Cole and Kai’s dead bodies that still lay stretched out across the ground.

  “Where did you manage to acquire Apollo’s gliders?” Bud wanted to know the answer.

  “After the crash, some were scattered here, some were scattered there, and well, I made the best of it and rebuilt them.”

  “Your plan will never work,” Bud quarreled with Black.

  “Once our Commander returns,” Black defiantly stated, the army will be completed and our domination will commence underneath the Feast of the Eclipse,” Black said while he waved down more men.

  “Commander?” Kaspar broke the silence. He had to talk, the awkward pain was killing him. Lon, one of Black’s aggressive soldiers, had Kaspar pinned beautifully in a half-nelson with a rifle.

  “I can feel him drawing near.” Black looked up to the skies.

  “He’s definitely off his frickin’ rocker,” Shaw muttered over in Bud’s direction.

  “Didn’t we learn our lesson?” Black returned to Shaw.

  “I saved your life,” Bud said, trying to catch a deep breath.

  “Yes. Yes you did.” Black pointed out. Black withdrew his pistol and aimed directly at Bud. “I certainly can’t kill with a guilt trip hanging over me.” Black waved the gun at the soldier standing behind Bud. “Untie him,” he ordered.

  “Are you sure Sir?” The soldier briefly hesitated.

  “He’s no longer a threat, he can’t even breathe, the old bastard.” Black watched as Bud’s hands were freed from their binds. “Step forward,” Black ordered the young man.

  The young man did as what was requested, walking a few steps closer to Black.

  Black wasted no time in firing off a shot. The bullet spiraled at the young man, piercing his heart and dropped him, dead, in the cold water.

  “Are you insane?” Bud reached over and attempted to save the young man’s life. Bud’s hands quickly became saturated with the blue blood pouring out from the chest cavity.

  “I saved your life, now I can hunt you with a clear conscious.” Black waved the pistol around. “Now, until we meet again Stephens,” Black began the retreat, pointing the pistol at Gillian and Shaw, and Kaspar. “Which two will it be Stephens?” Black insisted that Bud make a split decision.

  “For what?”

  “To become part of my master plan,” Black silently played the child’s game of eeny-meeny- miny- mo inside his head. In a slow deliberate whisper, Black’s freakish words could be heard. “Catch a tiger by the toe,” his startling voice rattled off the children’s rhyme. “My mother’s picks the very best one, and that is you,” Black finished the rhyme and placed the gun against Kaspar’s temple.

  Kaspar closed his eyes and waited for the bullet.

  “Let him go,” Black instructed the soldier standing behind Kaspar.

  “No!” Gillian screamed in defiance.

  “Looks like you two are the lucky ones,” Black said, motioning over to Gillian. “My commander is really looking forward to meeting you.” Black leaned in ran his tongue up Gillian’s cheek.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kaspar rose from the ground and quickly turned the table on Black, upper cutting the soldier behind him and grasping his weapon.

  “Oh, are the two of you a couple?” Black turned to face Kaspar. His eye seemed to shift underneath his eye patch. A series of Carnelian’s crawled underneath his skin. “I wouldn’t tempt your gracious host to change his mind.”

  “I’ll kill you where you stand, without blinking an eye.” Kaspar heroically armed the weapon.

  “Go ahead,” Black urged Kaspar’s bluff. “If you shoot me, my men will unload their weapons on your precious little plaything here,” Black said, twirling Gillian’s hair between his gloves with an evil flair. “And, what a fun time will be had by all,” Black sneered, his face tightening up.

  “It’ll be okay, Jilly,” Kaspar lowered his weapon.

  “Commander, I have to tell you something,” Gillian attempted to reveal her one-night stand with the incorrigible Adrian Blakely aboard the Abagail.

  “Yeah, I love you too Jilly,” Kaspar’s answer was provoked out of fear for Gillian’s life. “Just do what he says, and whatever you do, keep your temper under wraps.” Kaspar waved his hands about illustrating his point. “No funny stuff. This prick means business.”

  “Prick?” Black seemed taken aback by the offensive word.

  “It’s a compliment.” Kaspar’s retort brimmed with sarcasm aimed at offending the worm standing before him.

  “In any case,” Black paused before continuing, “smart move Commander.” Black pulled Gillian up by her elbow. “And, for you, vermin,” Black reached down and grabbed a hold of Shaw by the cheek, pinching it tightly between his fingers. “Watch your mouth,” Black reques
ted, “because the next time you crack a joke, or even a fucking limerick, I will cut out your tongue and feed it to my Dobermans for a snack.” Black yanked Shaw up with brutal force. “Are we clear?”

  Shaw fought hard to resist pissing off the Commander. “Yeah, crystal,” he huffed in restrained obedience.

  “Oh, I can’t wait to bond with you,” Black pushed Shaw forward, forcing the him into the waiting arms of his soldiers. “Take them,” Black ordered.

  His men, led by Hans, began their march towards the caves with Gillian and Shaw trudging ahead of them.

  “I’ll be getting my rifle back, Solo.” Bud yelled at the departing soldier.

  “Solo?” Black confused, failed to make the famous movie reference.

  “Star Wars? Hello?” Bud’s voice was curt, abrupt at best. “Doesn’t anybody remember that movie? It’s been only seventy years.”

  They moved with a careful step, adapting each of their steps to the tricky jungle landscape. Their leader, a tall man with dark black hair, led the charge. His glasses were consistently fogging up from the approaching muggy atmosphere, limiting his distance. His pale, speckled hands clutched onto the GPS location device, watching as the red dot starting to enlarge in the center of the green grid.

  His team was comprised of roughly ten people, each equipped with a weapon. The tall man’s pace had slowed to a crawl. His hands rubbed his growling stomach. “I can hear them. Stay quiet,” his orders were firm and efficient. “We split up. I propose three groups of three,” his words diminished, a frantic finger waving, instructing his parade to split up in the designed groups.

  Ahead of the man, a small trail snaked it way through the hanging vines, and lowered branches from the aging trees. Not one for a nature walk, the leader continued along, brushing away the collection of newly formed spider webs, and crunching on scattering beetles and ants underneath the heavy heel of his boots. His eyes caught the exotic fruit growing on one of the sagging branches. To him, it looked to be a tantalizing mixture of fruit, pear shaped with a lightly peach-colored sphere. Using his forefinger and thumb, he plucked it from its perch and doused the fruit with chilled water from the canteen.