Darkest Night

by James Cherry

  Bo promptly bent the end of the antenna into a ninety-degree angle and walked back to the driver's side window. Placing the palms of his hands on the glass, he pulled downward with a sharp tug and the window slid down slightly, leaving a small crack at the top. He fished the antenna through the crack and punched the electronic lock. The satisfying click of the car unlocking reverberated throughout the nearly vacant parking garage.

  Bo dropped the antenna and crawled under the steering wheel. He ripped some wires downward and snapped two of them with a mighty pull of his hands. He used his teeth to strip the ends of the wires, touched them together, and the engine fired up. He quickly sat in the driver's seat while the doctor jumped into the passenger seat, and they sped off into the night.

  They arrived at the hotel a short time later and parked the car. The doctor motioned for Bo to follow as they raced up the stairs to the second floor, to the room that he had rented for the night.

  ***

  As they neared the room, a sudden sense of danger washed over Bo, some hidden sense from his years of military training told him something was amiss as he noticed that the door to the room was cracked slightly.

  Bo's arm shot out and grabbed the doctor in order to stop him from going in. The doctor looked back inquisitively, but Bo placed a finger to his lips and shook his head. He pushed past the doctor and inched forward cautiously, pausing near the door as he listened intently. Suddenly, a camouflage clad figure emerged from the room and turned to walk down the hall.

  Bo reacted quickly and punched the soldier in the face, causing the soldier to slump to the ground. As the soldier fell, he snatched the assault rifle away, quickly spinning it around to point into the man's face. As the soldier lay moaning on the ground, with his hands cupped over his bloodied nose, he was oblivious to the barrel of the gun only inches from his face.

  The noise had attracted the other occupants of the room and they streamed out into the hallway with their rifles pointed at the ready. More soldiers burst into the hallway from the stairs and moved to quickly surround Bo and Doctor Burch.

  Bo turned slowly as he counted the soldiers and mentally figured the odds. It didn't look good.

  A young lieutenant emerged from the room and said, "Staff Sergeant Bo Welsh, please lower you weapon. We are not here to take you into custody; we are here for your help. I have been ordered by General Crowell to bring you in."

  Bo turned to Doctor Burch inquisitive look upon his face.

  The doctor nodded and waved his hand in a downward motion signaling for him to drop his weapon. Bo obliged, and the weapon clattered uselessly to the ground.

  A familiar voice chided loudly, "Damn, Bo, you are getting old. A couple years ago, they wouldn't have been able to catch you with your pants down like they just did."

  Bo looked up with a start.

  "Carter!"

  The two men embraced and the soldiers surrounding them visibly relaxed.

  After a long and emotional hug, Bo pulled back, looked Carter up and down, and stammered, "Wha-how?"

  Carter smiled and said, "You can thank Doctor Burch for my release. We need to hurry, because something terrible is brewing. I'll tell you everything when we get to the Humvee."

  Carter turned to the lieutenant and nodded. With that cue the lieutenant quickly led Doctor Burch, Bo, and Carter down to the Humvee, which was flanked by a dozen heavily armed soldiers.

  As they drove out of the city limits and into the countryside, Doctor Burch and Carter filled Bo in on all the details of the daring escape.

  After they had finished recounting the events, Bo smiled in appreciation and said, "Doc, I didn't know you had it in you. I really wish that you had contacted me first so that I could have been there. I would have loved to been a part of that mission. Damn, that’s one for the history books."

  The doctor replied, "It was nothing, really. Carter came up with the plan, I just followed his orders."

  Carter chimed in, "Don't devalue your role, Doc. You performed your part flawlessly. Had you shown any nervousness, you would have never gotten that guard out of the control room and our escape would have never taken place." He slapped the doctor on the shoulder and continued, "I am forever in your debt. Whatever you need, just ask."

  The doctor looked downward sheepishly and said, "Thanks, Carter, but you don't owe me anything. You do know that we may not be out of the woods yet. The military may throw you right back into the hospital."

  "Nah, the lieutenant told me that my services were now needed once again. Seems that initially they thought I was crazy and sent me to the loony bin. Once they found out my story was correct, they decided that it was too dangerous to release me as they wanted to keep everything confidential. The fact is that I blabbed about these creatures to anyone that would listen and the military thought that I couldn't be trusted. I can understand that as an ex-military man, I would have made the same call," replied Carter.

  "Why was Bo released then?" asked Doctor Burch.

  "Because I didn't talk to anyone but the military. Once they debriefed me, I remained quiet," replied Bo.

  Bo turned to Carter and said, "Now, it is time for you to tell me how you survived."

  Carter's smile suddenly vanished, and he quickly looked away from Bo. Speaking softly, he began, "While we were standing by that tree, something grabbed me by the head. My medic pack held a collapsible gurney with aluminum framing which protected the back of my head and my night vision goggles protected the front. The creatures top teeth crunched into my goggles and its back teeth clamped on the gurney. It launched itself into the air with me dangling by my head from its jaws. I couldn't breathe and it felt as if my neck were about to snap off, and since I was strangling, I couldn’t talk and was unable to call for help on my Tac-Com. Just when I thought I was about to pass out, it grabbed my shoulders with its talons and let go of my head. I hung limply and played dead, since I didn't want the thing to bite into my head again.”

  Bo interrupted, “Why didn’t you shoot it?”

  Carter replied, “I still had my weapon and thought about shooting the creature, but I realized that I was very high off the ground and wouldn’t survive the fall, so I waited. At one point, the demon twisted me in its claws and I dropped my rifle but I still had my sidearm but was afraid to reach for it. I thought that the creature would realize I was still alive and kill me for sure if I moved. So we flew for ten minutes or more into some mountains, where it dropped me in front of a small cave. And piled in front of the cave were four bodies." Carter paused and took a deep breath. He was shaking with the recollection of the horrid memory.

  Bo sat back in the seat and patiently waited for Carter to collect himself. After a couple of minutes of continued silence, Bo prodded, "Come on Carter, I need to know everything."

  Carter sighed and he reluctantly continued, “I just laid there unmoving for a few minutes because I was afraid the creature would come back. After it was apparent that the creature wasn’t coming back anytime soon, I crawled to the bodies and examined them. That’s when I found Riddle.”

  Bo sat up with a start and asked, “Was Riddle alive?”

  Carter took another deep breath and a single tear fell from his eye as he replied, "No, he was dead. His face was a mess, crushed beyond recognition, so I had to identify him from his dog tags." Carter stopped again and breathed heavily as the painful memories surfaced into his mind.

  Bo sympathetically patted Carter gently on the shoulder and said, "Please continue. What happened then?”

  “I found an AK-47 strapped to a terrorist so I took the weapon and was going to head down the mountain when the little ones jumped me.”

  This time it was the doctor who sat up straight and asked, “Little ones?”

  “Yes, there were three of them, and they were about the size of an eagle. One attached to my leg and began sucking my blood. I shot it and clubbed the others to death with the AK-47. Once I did that, I ran like hell down the mountain. I made it into the trees
and just kept running. I didn't stop running until dawn when I collapsed from exhaustion. After spending several hours unconscious, I got up and began walking aimlessly. For six days I wandered until I came across a small village. From there I was able to make a phone call and get help.” Carter shrugged and said, “That is about it."

  Doctor Burch soaked up the information with excitement. He asked, "What did the little ones look like?"

  Carter replied, "Nasty little critters. They were covered in feathers, but I couldn't tell what color, because it was just too dark to see. They had snake-like bodies and four legs each. The wings were huge and looked as if they were twice the length of the body. The babies had teeth and their heads were bald, no feathers, kind of like a buzzard."

  "So what did the adult look like?" the doctor asked.

  Carter looked sharply at Doctor Burch and said, "Evil. They looked evil. The body was snake-like and it had no feathers, just dark colored scales. It was huge, too. It looked as if it was fifty feet long or more with a hundred-foot wingspan, but then again it was dark, and I was scared shitless. My mind could have been playing tricks on me."

  The doctor nodded sympathetically.

  No one said another word until the Humvee arrived at the campsite.

  ***

  As the small convoy pulled into the camp, the doctor immediately spotted Ayako standing toe to toe with a young officer, yelling into his face.

  Doctor Burch stepped out of the vehicle and laughed at the sight. She was really giving the poor soldier hell.

  His familiar laugh caught Ayako’s attention and she turned in surprise.

  "David," she exclaimed as she rushed into his arms.

  Doctor Burch smiled and said, "Well, nice to see you too, Aya. So, why are you yelling at that poor man?"

  Ayako frowned and said, "They won't tell me what’s going on here. They keep saying that they won't say anything until you get here, and it’s really pissing me off."

  "Well, I will go and find out," said Doctor Burch.

  The sound of a throat clearing stopped the doctor and he turned to see a smiling Carter staring back at him.

  Doctor Burch caught on quickly and replied, "Oh, I am sorry. Ayako, this is Terry Carter. The Terry Carter from Bo's past. Terry, this is Doctor Ayako Masuda. She is a veterinarian by trade. You two talk a bit while I go and find out what is going on here."

  Carter nodded at the doctor and turned his attention to Ayako. He stuck out his hand and Ayako excitedly took it.

  She turned and shouted to the retreating Doctor Burch, “Wait, David. There is someone I would like you to meet as well.”

  Doctor Burch stopped in his tracks and turned back to the group.

  Ayako motioned to Doctor Chin and said, “Everyone, this is Doctor Chin. He is a Paleontologist from China, and an old friend.”

  Doctor Burch smiled as he shook Doctor Chin’s hand and said, “I remember you from the University. Good to see you again. What brings you to this part of the world?”

  As Doctor Chin shook Bo and Carter’s hands in turn, he answered Doctor Burch, “Ayako called me because she had discovered something. That tooth that you found in Mexico appears to have come from a giant unknown reptile. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to examine it yet, because the soldiers brought us here before we made it to the University.”

  Doctor Burch nodded in understanding and turned back to Ayako. He asked, “What did you find with the evidence we had collected anyway?”

  Ayako started to speak but was suddenly interrupted by an approaching lieutenant. The officer said, “Doctor Chin, Doctor Masuda, would you please come with me?”

  Ayako stood her ground and replied, “I am not going anywhere. I will stay with Doctor Burch and you will have to kill me before I leave his side.”

  The lieutenant hesitated for a moment as he pondered the situation. He opened his mouth as if to argue, but he saw the look of determination on her face and wisely backed off. He turned away, walked just out of ear shot, and made a call on a cell phone. A few moments later the lieutenant returned, stopped in front of Ayako and said, “The general said you can stay with Doctor Burch." He looked at Doctor Chin and said, “Please sir, come with me.”

  Doctor Chin looked horrified at the prospect. He turned to Ayako with pleading eyes.

  Ayako protectively grabbed Doctor Chin’s arm and asked, “Where are you taking him?”

  The lieutenant replied, “To the lab where we have the corpse of one of the young. We need Doctor Chin to try and identify what kind of creature it is.”

  Doctor Chin let out a slow breath and said, “I will come with you.”

  The lieutenant smiled and said, “Okay, sir, we are going to board a helicopter in a few minutes. This way please.” The lieutenant pointed off into the night.

  Doctor Chin turned to the group and said, “I would really like to see this creature. Just be careful out there.” He turned and followed the lieutenant off into the darkness.

  As Ayako and Carter began a conversation, Doctor Burch spied an officer off in the distance, discussing something with a soldier. He walked quickly to the soldiers, stopping just behind the officer.

  “Hello, General Crowell sent for me, where can I find him?” the doctor asked.

  The officer turned and said, “Sure, this way, sir.”

  As the doctor followed the officer through the camp, he saw that the camp held at least sixty soldiers, who all looked to be battle ready. And interestingly enough, he noticed that many of the soldiers wore different uniforms, some appearing to be marines while the majority appeared to be Army.

  They arrived at the command post, and the doctor noticed that it was an open-sided tent chock full of communication and computer equipment. And standing over a table, which contained a map of Wisconsin, was the general.

  The young captain walked up to the general and whispered in his ear. The general quickly turned to Doctor Burch and said, "Damn, you are one hard man to get a hold of. You are late, gather your team and meet at the LZ."

  Doctor Burch stammered in surprise, "Wha-wait a minute general. What the hell is going on here, and what are we late for?"

  "I will tell you later, now get your team to the LZ," bellowed General Crowell.

  Doctor Burch retreated a step and stopped to consider the general for a moment.

  But he had one more question on his mind, something that he had to ask, something that just couldn’t wait.

  “General?” said the doctor.

  The general turned again and growled, “What the hell is it now?”

  The doctor growled in return, “What the hell is an LZ?”

  Before the general could answer, a soldier rushed to the doctor’s side and led the doctor out of the tent. Leaning in close the soldier whispered, “Landing Zone.”

  The doctor decided at that point that he better do what the general said. He turned on his heel and walked briskly back to the team.

  It didn’t take the doctor long to find his way back to the team and he quickly told them what had happened. Ayako seemed puzzled, but Bo and Carter looked at each other and then back to the doctor again.

  It was Bo who spoke first, "Doctor, it is obvious that something has happened. Something terrible, I warrant. We had better get to the LZ now. Let's go."

  Not knowing where the LZ was located, the doctor asked, "Fine . . . but where is it?"

  Carter chuckled and replied, "I believe that the LZ is over in that large clearing with all the lights, flares, and helicopters and shit. That is usually an indication of an LZ."

  Doctor Burch nodded in embarrassment at his ignorance and followed the group to the landing zone. Once there, they waited patiently as dozens of soldiers arrived and lined up in preparation to leave. The general suddenly appeared from the darkness and strode in among the chaos. He bellowed at an officer and the officer in turn yelled at his troops, who moved more rapidly into position.

  The doctor winced as the loud thunder of approaching helicopter
s drowned out the officer's tirades. The first of the MV-22 Osprey helicopters landed quickly, and a line of troops rushed on board. In a little over a minute the chopper was loaded and well on its way. The second helicopter landed soon after and took on troops as well.

  The doctor marveled at the MV-22, it was a strange looking helicopter. It was, in appearance, more like an old fashioned prop driven airplane as two humongous engines powered equally large propellers. The engines rotated vertical to allow landing like a helicopter and rotated horizontally in mid-flight to fly much like a plane.

  The third helicopter arrived, and the general shouted for Doctor Burch and his team to board. Not wanting to irritate the general any further, the team rushed up the ramp and into the rear of the helicopter. As soon as they and a few soldiers made it inside, the rear doors closed with a resounding clang, and the chopper lifted off the ground. Bo helped Ayako buckle into a small jump seat while Carter showed the doctor how to buckle into his.

  Carter remarked, "Strange how the Army is using Marine birds. Seems like this may be a joint operation of some sort."

  Bo replied, "It is. The Marines have the exclusive use of the Advanced Radar and Mapping system.”

  Doctor Burch interrupted, “What is that?”

  Bo explained, “They are small radar systems that can be carried on the back. The Army needed the radar and that is why the Marines are involved."

  Carter nodded in agreement and sat back to enjoy the flight, as only a soldier could.

  ***

  They flew for almost two hours before they touched down in a remote field in a wilderness area. The team departed the helicopter and was forced to jog into another makeshift camp that had sprung up in the middle of a large grassy field.

  As the doctor stood in awe watching the soldiers scurry about with trained precision, the general suddenly appeared at his side.

  The general grabbed the doctor's arm and pulled him inside a large tent. Once inside, the general said, "Doctor, we need your help. I apologize for the rush, but we had been delayed in our hunt for you, and it cost us valuable time. We need to be set up and ready when they come."