by Carl Hose
“Sir, I’ll have to ask you to turn this vehicle around and leave the area,” the soldier on Dalton’s side of the truck said. “If you don’t do so immediately, I will be forced—”
“No need for all that,” Dalton said. “I’ll turn around.”
He threw the truck in reverse and backed up, then turned around and went back the way he’d come. A glance in the rearview showed the soldiers moving back to their original positions. Like it or not, there was no way anybody would be getting close to the crash site. Whatever was going on beyond that perimeter, the military had it locked down and off limits.
* * *
The compound set up around the crash site was bustling with activity. Military trucks and jeeps rolled from one end to the other, delivering soldiers and information from one post to the next. The crash site itself was located directly in the center of the compound and measured about a quarter mile in diameter. Two scientists in protective gear were in the hole, examining what appeared to be a large meteorite oozing a viscous black substance. Parts of the giant rock pulsated and undulated as if it were alive.
Not far from the hole, a jeep skidded to a stop and Colonel Edgewater climbed out of the passenger side, making a beeline for the two scientists examining the rock. A soldier standing beside the hole offered a salute. Edgewater saluted back and leaned over to look into the hole. “Should my men be wearing protective gear?” he called down.
The two scientists looked up at him. One spoke up, his voice muffled through the covering over his head. “I can’t say for certain, sir. We have yet to determine the make-up of the object. Before we can—”
“Is it still leaking shit?” Edgewater cut in.
“With all due respect, sir, does it appear to be leaking to you?” the scientist asked.
Edgewater’s face reddened and his temples began to throb. One of the many things he couldn’t stand was a smart ass. He could smell a smart ass a mile away, and this guy in his protective gear, jerking his dick while he played with a rock, was a smart ass.
“Fuck the due-respect shit,” Edgewater said. “Just because you’re part of some special scientific unit doesn’t mean you come in here with your bullshit attitude, you understand what I’m saying? Does your college degree catch my drift?” He was on a roll now and not about to stop. “It’s your job to find out what that fucking thing is. It’s my job to control the goddamned situation while you do that. In the process of doing my job, I will ask any fucking question I damn well want to ask, and I will get a straight answer. I’ll do whatever I deem necessary to ensure the safety of my men. Now, is there anything I’ve said here that you don’t understand?”
“I understand you just fine, sir, but keep in mind that we are not under your command, and as you pointed out, we have our job to do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to it.”
Edgewater exploded. “You son of a—”
“Colonel, sir, General Claymont on the horn,” the driver of Edgewater’s jeep called out, just in time to prevent an explosion that would have left an unfortunate scientist with his head torn off and up his ass.
Edgewater glanced at Private Daybrook holding up the receiver, then down at the two scientists again. “You idiots keep me posted of all developments,” he said, then he turned and headed for his communication with the general.
Seven
Johnny and Wanda were lying in bed, tangled together in the sheets and smoking cigarettes. She sat up, allowing the sheet to slip away from her breasts. Johnny reached over and stroked one of her nipples.
“Save some energy for later,” she said.
“I never run out of energy, baby,” he said, grinning as he continued to play with her nipple.
“Where are we going to go?” she asked.
“Not a fuckin’ clue. You saw the news. The whole country’s goin’ crazy. The fuckin’ army, curfews, that’s some serious shit.”
Car tires squealed outside the motel room, drawing Johnny’s attention to the window. He looked back at Wanda, who was staring at him like a lost puppy dog. Her chin was propped in her hand. That was the kind of gaze Johnny didn’t want to see. It meant she was going all mushy on him, and that was something he couldn’t afford in his life.
“You’re a big, strong guy, aren’t ya?” she said. “You’ll take care of me.”
“Look, I ain’t no fuckin’ hero,” he told her. “I take care of myself. You wanna tag along, that’s fine by me, just don’t go expectin’ too much.”
She smiled at him. “I think you might surprise me, Johnny,” she said. “Might even surprise yourself.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
“I am betting on it,” she said. “I mean, you come off like a real jerk, but I think there might be more to you than even you know.”
“I think you might be wrong about that.”
She plucked the cigarette from between his fingers and leaned over to put her cigarette and his out in the ashtray on the night table, then she faced him again. “We’ll just have to wait and see about that, won’t we?”
“I guess we will.”
She slid the sheet away from him and reached out to stroke his semi-erect cock, which responded to her touch immediately.
“I told ya I never run out of energy,” he said.
“I can live with that,” she said, climbing on top of him.
“What makes you think you’re gonna get the chance to make a decision like that?” he asked, cupping her bottom as she settled down on him.
“Because I think you like me,” she replied.
She wiggled her bottom invitingly.
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
He pulled her face to his and kissed her hard on the mouth. She kissed him back, thrusting her tongue deep into his mouth as she began to ride him. He tangled his fingers in her hair and returned her enthusiasm. It wasn’t long before they reached a climax together, collapsing again in a sweaty heap.
For the first time in his life, and certainly for the first time since this whole crazy thing had begun, Johnny felt like maybe he’d found someone he could keep around.
Eight
The scientists were still examining the oozing black rock when Edgewater approached the hole again. He’d just gotten off the radio with the general and it was time he put these two dumb asses in their proper place.
“Okay, dick heads, listen up,” he called down into the hole. “The game has just changed. I’m in charge of this fuck-off operation now. That tasty tidbit of trivia came straight from the Pentagon. I say shit, you damn well better drop your fucking trousers and ask me what pretty color I’d like. Are we clear on that?”
The scientists were annoyed, but they seemed to understand not to push the issue, which satisfied Edgewater to no end. “I want a prelim on this big motherfucker within the hour,” he said. “Answers, boys, that’s what I want. I want some fucking answers.”
“Yes, sir,” one of the scientists responded, with no indication in the tone of his voice that he was anything other than exasperated.
Edgewater started to turn away, but a hissing noise from inside the hole brought him around again. The rock began to steam and liquefy. The scientists’ muffled screams tore through the steam as they scrambled to get out of the hole.
* * *
An old pickup truck rolled to a stop outside the crash site perimeter as two soldiers flanked it. Henry was behind the steering wheel and Ed was in the passenger seat.
“What landed out here?” Henry demanded, leaning out his window.
“You’ll have to turn around and go back the way you came,” the soldier on Henry’s side of the truck stated flatly. “Only authorized personnel beyond this point.”
“I ain’t beyond the point, now am I?” Henry said. “I’m right outside where I ain’t supposed to be, which puts me exactly where I should be. That about right?”
“Sir, I’ll ask you one more time to turn your vehicle around and leave,�
� the soldier said. “After that, we’ll have to take you into custody.”
“Sounds more like a direct command than asking,” Henry said. He looked over at Ed. “What do you think?”
“Sure sounds like we’re being told to me. Nothing polite about it either.”
The soldier on Ed’s side of the truck spoke up. “You are in direct violation of—”
Henry cut him off. “I served my country in the military, so don’t go giving me any speeches. I fought in a world war before you boys were even in diapers, which I’d lay dollars to doughnuts is more than you two can lay claim to. Now, I live just a few miles down the road here, and all I’m askin’ is whether or not somethin’ from another planet has landed damn near in my backyard?”
“And I’ll say it for the final time, this is military business—”
An explosion shook the ground. Both soldiers spun to look toward the inside of the perimeter where it seemed like all hell was beginning to break loose. That’s when Henry made a decision that he might have taken back if he’d gotten the chance. He opened his door and got out to get a better look.
The truck’s door was rusty and squeaked loud enough to be heard over the chaos inside the perimeter. The two soldiers spun quickly in Henry’s direction, bringing their M-16s up to open fire. A hail of bullets tore into Henry’s chest and riddled the windshield of the truck. Inside the truck, Ed had no time to duck. His head disintegrated, painting the interior of the truck with vibrant shades of red.
* * *
Edgewater drew his .45 and looked down into the hole. Black liquid bubbled up around the scientists, making any rescue attempt pointless. He turned to where a small group of soldiers had fanned out with their weapons ready.
“I want a full alert issued,” Edgewater said. “I want every son of a bitch in my command armed and ready for combat.”
The soldiers all nodded and moved out, issuing commands as they went. Edgewater took one more look into the hole and shook his head.
“Guess neither of you will be shittin’ anytime soon,” he said.
* * *
A kid on a bike left the sidewalk on the corner of First and Main, rolling across the street without looking. The kid always looked before he crossed, but his attention was focused on the black cloud rising into the sky south of town.
The driver of the Acura didn’t see the boy. He was too occupied with the same black cloud as the kid. The front of the Acura slammed into the boy on the bicycle. The boy flew off his bike and landed several yards away. His bike went under the car, twisting and tearing apart as the Acura’s tires squealed against the pavement.
The driver of the car got out and ran straight for the kid, yelling for help as he went. Edna and a few customers came outside to see what the commotion was about. Edna went back inside to phone the sheriff.
Colbrook arrived five minutes later. The driver of the car was kneeling beside the boy, still in a state of panic.
“I didn’t see him, Sheriff,” the driver said. “He ran right out in front of me.”
“Take it easy,” Colbrook said. “Step back and let me have a look.”
Colbrook helped the driver to his feet and moved him back a few steps, then he knelt beside the boy and checked his pulse. There was nothing there. Not even the slightest beat of a heart. The kid was gone.
Colbrook stood up and turned to deliver the news to the driver. He was about to open his mouth when the boy’s hand twitched just slightly and then darted out, grabbing Colbrook’s ankle.
“Jesus Christ,” the driver screamed, stumbling backward, thinking only that he had to get away from what he was looking at.
The kid’s eyes were wide open and he was drooling. It didn’t seem possible, but that’s exactly the way it was.
The kid was also doing his best to drag the sheriff down, but Colbrook managed to jerk his foot away. The kid lunged again, snapping at Colbrook’s ankle like a rabid dog.
Colbrook kicked the kid in the head and backed away, his hand moving to his holster.
The boy tried standing on legs that were shattered and bent. When his legs wouldn’t support him, he dragged himself toward the sheriff, snapping and snarling.
“What the hell’s wrong with him?” the driver of the car screamed, no longer worried about what he may have done to the kid.
“Besides the fact that he’s dead?” Colbrook said, drawing his revolver.
“You’re going to shoot the kid?” the driver squawked.
Colbrook answered the question by raising his gun and firing. The bullet struck the boy in the shoulder and jerked him sideways, but it didn’t stop him. Colbrook fired two more rounds, both bullets striking the kid in his upper body.
“Holy mother of God,” the driver said.
This time Colbrook aimed more carefully. He squeezed off a round that hit the boy between his eyes, exploding his head in a shower of blood and bone fragments. What was left over fell to the ground and stayed down.
* * *
“Shoot it,” one of the soldiers who’d shot Henry and Ed yelled.
The two soldiers opened fire on Henry, who had gotten up shortly after being shot the first time around. Their bullets plastered his chest, ripping through flesh and bone, but Henry kept coming.
“The head,” one of the soldiers yelled. “Shoot the son of a bitch in the head.”
The soldiers adjusted their aim and opened fire again, exploding Henry’s head like a ripe watermelon. Henry stood headless for a couple of seconds before dropping.
“Did you see that shit?” one of the soldiers asked. “Fucker was walking around with no head and his guts hanging out.”
“I got eyes,” the other soldier said.
They circled around the truck to take a look at Ed, who was missing half his head. Blood and jelly-like brain matter dribbled from the opening.
“It’s the head. I was right,” the first soldier said. “That’s why this one stayed down. He’s already missing half his fucking head.”
The second soldier put a short burst of 5.56 mm slugs into what was left of Ed’s head. “Just to be on the safe side,” he said.
* * *
Edgewater stood directing operations with his back to the crater. He didn’t see the two scientists crawling from the black muck minus the protective suits. Most of what was left of their skin hung in tiny strips and flaps over bone.
Private Jacobs came to a skidding halt in front of the colonel. “Colonel, sir, I advise that you take a look behind you,” he said.
Edgewater was agitated with the interruption, but he turned anyway, and saw the two skeletons coming his way. “What in the fuck am I looking at?” he said.
“It looks like a couple of skeletons, sir,” Private Jacobs responded. “I mean, if I were to make a guess, sir.”
“I know a goddamned skeleton when I see one, private,” Edgewater declared.
Two more soldiers joined Private Jacobs, speechless by the sight of the skeletons almost on top of Edgewater now. Edgewater glanced at the approaching skeletons with mild annoyance, then he stepped aside. “Blow the sons of whores away,” he instructed his men.
Private Jacobs and the other two soldiers opened fire all at once. Bullets ripped through the skeletons, throwing bone chips in every direction, but the damn things kept coming.
“Aww, Jesus,” Edgewater mumbled when the soldiers ceased firing.
He drew his Desert Eagle and fired one shot at each skeleton, shattering their skulls in turn. The soldiers stood dumbfounded as the sacks of bones collapsed almost at Edgewater’s feet.
“You dumb fucks never saw Night of the Living Dead?” Edgewater said, holstering his Desert Eagle. “Now get a goddamned flamethrower over here and toast those fuckers.”
* * *
Edna’s Country Café was packed with soldiers. The volume level was intense to the point of being mind numbing as the soldiers all spoke louder in an effort to out-talk each other.
Abigail and Edna were behind the counte
r, having caught up with orders long enough to take a short breather.
“Why don’t you go home, little one,” Edna said. “I can handle this.”
“There’s no way I’m leaving you here by yourself,” Abigail said.
“Don’t you worry about it. I can handle everything just fine, and there’s always Joe if I need him. Besides, I may lock up early, whether these army boys like it or not.”
Abigail hesitated, then said, “You’ll call if you need me?”
“Of course I will,” Edna said. “Won’t need to, though. Go on home and rest.”
Abigail untied her apron and handed it to Edna. “Thank you,” she said.
“You’re welcome” Edna said.
Abby called bye to Joe and made her way through the crowded diner. She couldn’t get out the door fast enough. Once she was in her car, she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, relishing the silence. She turned the key in the ignition. The engine almost turned over, then sputtered out. She turned the key again. This time there was nothing more than a click.
“Damnit,” she said. She popped the hood to take a look at the engine, not that it would do her much good. She didn’t know anything about cars.
An army truck rolled by while she was looking under the hood. “Hey, baby, need a jump?” a soldier called out from the back of the truck, which was followed by a series of cat calls.
“How ’bout a hot wire,” another called out.
Abigail turned away from the truck, ignoring the soldiers as she took another look under the hood. As the army truck made a left at the end of Main Street, Dalton’s Dodge Ram came into view at the opposite end of the street. Abigail looked up in time to see him pull into the parking space beside her.
“Need a hand?” he asked through the open passenger window.
“I’d love one,” she said, relieved to have him there, not only to help with her car, but because she’d feel better having him around if the army truck came back by.