Cascade (Book 4): Conflict

by Phil Maxey

  “He feel’s that you might be able to help find her, how do you feel about that?”

  “I’ll do what I can, but I don’t know if I’ll be of any use, I only felt what I did when I was a few hundred yards away from that guy.”

  “If you’re willing to work with me, I think I might be able to help you with that.”

  Cal nodded, and Fiona took a deep breath.

  * * * * *

  Zach woke with a start. All around him the heavens were pounding on the armored shell he was inside of. “Where are we?”

  “Pulling off the highway west of Shreveport, it’s completely blocked up ahead,” said Fiona, who had the radio in her hand. “How’s it looking ahead? Over.”

  Bass replied it was clear. Sheets of rain fell above them, making it hard to hear anything else. The convoy pulled into a smaller road, surrounded by electrical facilities that were now just chaotic tangles of steel wires and beams. What little green there was, was becoming harder to see through the torrents the clouds were throwing at them.

  “How long was I asleep?” Zach shouted.

  “Two hours,” Fiona shouted back and then anticipated his next question. “We saw some creatures under the highway some miles back, but no trouble.”

  Zach corrected the angle of his helmet, and sat up. “Raj, will a storm like this effect the E.L.F’s?”

  “We honestly have no idea. I guess we will find out.”

  “It sure as shit makes it harder for us to see them if they are out there,” said Fiona. She then paused as if not being sure as to what next to say. “Cal, can you sense anything?”

  “Yes, but it’s distant. I don’t think we are in any imminent danger.”

  Raj flicked open a small ring binder notebook and wrote something. He leaned in closer to Cal to be heard. “Can you tell what direction the E.L.F’s are?”

  Cal closed his eyes and tried to get an idea of where the creatures could be, but all he could hear was the rain. “No, I can’t tell.”

  The convoy moved on cutting through puddles which covered the road. Cal started to feel a tingling sensation somewhere in his head, or was it his mind? He wasn’t sure, but he knew to trust that it meant E.L.F’s were close.

  “I think they are getting closer…not sure from what direction,” he turned and looked out of the back of the Humvee but not to see with his eyes. No, not there.

  Zach tightened the strap on his helmet. “Which direction?”

  “I think coming at us from up ahead.”

  The vehicles approached the junction at the end of the long road they had just traveled down.

  Zach looked out through the rain best he could. To his left, he could make out a large brick building, with a sign outside, tilted, that said this was a church. To their right, a large container looking building, with large lettering on the side. “Conway’s better food outlet.” Both had parking lots out front.

  He clicked on his radio. “Bass, we need to take shelter, Cal says there’s E.L.F’s approaching from the east, up ahead. The church on our left looks the safer bet. It’s got a good field of view out front. Park up as close to the main building as you can get, and we will follow you inside. Over.”

  They were soon parked and opening the vehicles doors, shielding their faces to the battering from the elements. Bass had already ran up to the first main door of the church, and with one kick, broke it open. He ran in, followed by some soldiers. Everyone else but a small team of four who stayed in the tank, flowed through the open door.

  Only when inside did Zach notice that what windows the church did have, where boarded up, although one of the boarding’s was broken, allowing the rain to create a puddle on the floor close-by.

  “Make sure we’re all here,” said Zach to Bass, who nodded and then made everyone sound off.

  Cal moved to where the wind and rain were gaining entry to the building. He stood on a pew which had been pulled close to the wall and looked out into the storm. Every few seconds, the wind forced the rain horizontal, and he could see a few hundred yards further, almost to the tree line. The tingling was intensifying. The droplets of rain being forced into shards struck his face, making his vision momentarily blurry but it didn’t matter. You’re there, I can feel you. He then felt someone close behind him.

  “Are they out there?” said Fiona stepping up onto the pew and sweeping her hair back from her eyes.

  “Get closer, you will see them soon.”

  Fiona stood against the back of Cal and peered around his shoulder into the grayness. When the next gust picked up, they saw the distant trees shudder, and then part as if pushed over by the storm. But this wasn’t caused by the nature of old, these were story high brown beasts, partly covered in fur but mostly a rough matt looking leathery hide.

  “Look at their…” Fiona wasn’t sure how to complete her thought, “limbs?”

  Instead of being four or two legged, these creatures had six thick trunk like tentacles, which their torso sat on top of. Their heads were small, with eyes that couldn’t be seen.

  “Can you see them?” Raj spoke up from behind, standing beside the pew.

  “Sure can, not sure I want to though,” replied Fiona.

  “Do you mind if I take a look?”

  Fiona backed off. “Knock yourself out. We better hope they don’t find out we’re in here, I’m not sure the tank will be any use.”

  Raj quickly jumped up and watched next to Cal, squinting in the rain. “Do you think they can sense you? Will that draw them to us?”

  Cal glanced at Raj and frowned. “I hope not.”

  Raj got his notebook out and started scribbling, trying to not let the rain smudge his sketch.

  The rain thundered down on the churches roof, while the broken boards where Cal and Raj stood clattered with the wind. Cal leaned forward trying to glimpse the creatures better. “They’re coming this way.”

  While Cal had been watching the creatures, Zach had been directing everyone to take up defensive positions, and the tanks turret was trained towards the oncoming threat. It was also backed up to the door, so if the occupants needed to, they could quickly escape into the building behind them.

  The ground rumbled slightly, but it wasn’t due to the storm. Cal and Raj ducked down away from the broken window.

  Bass whispered into his radio. “Don’t open fire unless they attack. Over.”

  Zach ran over to Cal, crouching down next to him. “Did you see how many there were?”

  “I just saw the one, but I sense more.”

  Suddenly there was a snorting, similar to the sound of an elephant, and what looked like a stunted trunk but with two dark eyes embedded in it, pushed up against the flimsy board above their heads. A rush of warm pungent air flowed over them, as the boards at the window creaked. Zach wasn’t the only one who gripped his rifle tighter.

  Nothing stirred inside the church, with the only sound being the rain above, and whatever was pushing and probing outside the window.

  Cal kept his breathing calm and regular. There were times, many times that having a connection with the E.L.F’s was a good thing, but this was not one of them.

  The sound of rain and nothing else returned to the space between the broken wooden boards, along with a light rumbling.

  “I think it’s moving off,” said Cal.

  Everyone still held their breath for a few moments more, until Cal stood back on the pew. “They have gone. I can still sense them, but they are moving away.”

  Fiona stood, taking a deep breath. “Sounds like it’s stopping raining as well.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Abbey kept her hands raised, close to her chest, that way the pain was slightly less. When Tinley ‘punished’ her, the pain was so intense she almost passed out, but for now it had descended to a dull throb, unless she tried moving her left hand, then it felt like her wrist was being broken all over again.

  He had asked her if she was left or right handed. She told him the truth. She wasn’t an idiot. She
knew by saying right, he would do something to her left, presuming she was lying to him, she wasn’t.

  She had been moved out of the cold, damp warehouse floor above, downstairs to a room which was slightly warmer. It was also within eyeshot of Tinley’s people. At least now she wasn’t alone. The ‘attractive’ hispanic woman with the tied back curly black hair, that Tinley threatened earlier was now with her, also tied up.

  Both of them were gagged, but not blindfolded. Abbey learned within an hour of sitting on the hard floor just how much you can communicate with your eyes alone. Whoever this woman sitting opposite her was, she was bright and a survivor.

  The room they were in was similar to the one Abbey was in before, but this one had been in use. The floor was swept with some rugs thrown down, and there was a desk, some battery operated lanterns, a filing cabinet and some chairs. This was obviously some base of operations, but for who or for what purpose she couldn’t tell.

  Abbey had tried to listen as best she could through the closed door and glass windows of the office she was in to the activity that was happening outside. Every now and again she would hear muffled voices, one of which she was sure was Tinley’s, but there were also others, many others.

  The light was starting to fade when the door burst open. Abbey and the other woman shuddered in reply.

  Tinley stood in the doorway, with a large ponytailed man behind him who was holding a bag.

  “Good afternoon. My friend here, Clovis is going to ungag you, and then give you some food and water. It’s in your interest that you don’t try anything, he’s a lot less nicer than I. Actually Abbey you already met him, but you probably don’t remember,” he gave out a snigger. The man behind smiled. Tinley then went to walk away but stopped. “Oh, almost forgot. Your man, Zachariah, I’ve been informed that he’s on his way, so there’s hope yet!” he sneered, then turned away.

  Clovis walked slowly into the space between them and dropped a bag onto the frayed patterned rug. He then leaned down, and pulled the gag from Abbey and then Daisy, both of whom tried not to look at him directly. He then left.

  They both sat in silence waiting for his footsteps to grow fainter. When there was silence form outside, Abbey shuffled forward on her backside and went to open the bag, but winced.

  Daisy shuffled forward. “No, let me do it, you’re in pain.”

  Abbey smiled awkwardly, realising how stiff her face felt from the dried tears on it.

  Daisy opened the plastic bag and pulled out a plastic bottle of water, there was also what looked like a large bag of chips and a candy bar. “I’m Daisy Castillo,” she opened the bag of chips and the candy bar, pushing the bag towards Abbey and splitting the candy bar in two, passing half to her as well. She then opened the bottle of water, took a quick swig and passed it to Abbey, who stretched for it and groaned in pain. Fighting through the sensation of her bones being pulled apart she grabbed the bottle, and took a number of mouthfuls. She breathed heavily. Even though she had just been sitting on the floor all day, waves of fatigue were starting to take hold of her and she wavered back and forwards.

  “Hey, eat first, then you sleep. I’ll keep watch after. What’s your name?”

  “Abbey.”

  “You know, you really pissed him off,” Abbey looked at Daisy unsure of who she meant. “Tinley, when you barricaded yourself in upstairs. I’m sorry about that, if it weren’t for me, maybe you could of gotten away.”

  “I don’t think there was any way out anyway. I don’t know what I was thinking, I just wanted,” emotion started to well up inside her and a tear ran down her cheek.

  “It’s ok, take a bite of the candy.”

  Abbey chewed on the chocolate, and shook her head slightly. Need to keep my head. “How did you end up here?”

  “I was taken from the courthouse. He killed the judge, and he would have killed Arnold, so I volunteered. Last time I do that.” They both giggled while eating as fast as they could. Daisy then shuffled closer to Abbey. “I think we can escape, we just have to wait for the right moment. This is a big city. We just need ten or so minutes alone, and they will never find us, and whatever plan he’s got for your boyfriend. Well if he doesn’t have you, it’s not going to work as well.”

  Abbey wanted to agree, but right now all she wanted to do was sleep. She almost didn’t have the energy to eat the food and drink the water she knew she had to, to stay alive.

  CHAPTER 14

  As the shadows started to grow long, and day gave way to the evening, the convoy approached the outskirts of Jackson, Mississippi. For most of the journey they had managed to avoid E.L.F’s due to Cal’s sense of them being close or far. As they moved along the tree lined highway, he started to feel uneasy.

  He furrowed his brow and squeezed his forehead. “I’m picking up that same feeling again.”

  “The same feeling you had in Monroe?” said Zach.

  “Yes, I think so. It’s almost…the best way I can describe it, is each E.L.F ‘sounds’ different to me, when there are lots of types close by, it sounds like that sound orchestra’s make when they are just starting up, I can’t make one from the other, but I know they are there.”

  “And now you’re starting to recognise individual instruments?” said Raj.

  “Yeah I guess, but I don’t actually hear them, it’s like a sensation. Anyway, I picked up something in Monroe which was different to anything else I’ve felt before, and I’m feeling it again now, the weird thing is, it feels like it’s the same, like it’s the same E.L.F.”

  “Like we are being tracked.” Zach said in a deadpan tone while driving.

  “Yeah.”

  “Great,” said Fiona.

  “Do you think it could be human?” said Zach.

  “It’s not human.”

  Fiona looked upwards to see as much of the sky as she could. “So a monster has tracked us for a hundred miles.”

  “I think so.”

  Zach clicked on the radio and informed the rest of the convoy that there might be something following them.

  Raj leaned closer to Cal. “Your abilities seem to be improving.”

  Cal gave a quick smile, but he wasn’t sure if he was happy about that.

  “Bass, we will leave the highway at the next exit and then head into the suburbs, see where there is to hold up for the night. Over.”

  Bass acknowledged, and they left the highway passing back under it, and then moving onto a wide deserted road which led towards the heart of the city. Overhead the sky was gray and filled with formless clouds refusing to let any direct sunlight hit the ground. Passing a college and a clock tower they were soon surrounded by numerous hotels and stores, most of which looked undamaged.

  “Might be a good place to check out in the morning,” said Fiona.

  Zach pointed to his left, up ahead. “There, let’s check out that place,” he informed Bass, and they pulled up out front of a large brick pharmacy building. A few cars sat in the parking lot, but there was no sign of any people or creatures having been there.

  The convoy sat for a moment, all their engines turning over in the stillness of the early evening. The fumes from their exhausts turned to a thin mist as the temperature continued dropping.

  Zach studied the building in front of him. “Good line of sight, and the building doesn’t have many windows, apart from the entrance it looks pretty secure. Cal stay out here, if you sense anything get on the radio,” Zach then left the Humvee, walking up to the tank, where Bass had already popped open the turret hatch.

  Soldiers jumped down from the truck, and joined Zach as he walked inside through the already open glass doors.

  Cal reached forward and put his hand on Fiona’s shoulder, which she covered with her own hand.

  Raj stretched out. “I’ll be glad to get out of his Humvee, even if it is on a cold, tiled floor!”

  Micheal banged on the Humvee’s side window, making them all jump. Fiona swore.

  He pointed to the building. “I’m
going inside.”

  “I’ll think I’ll join him,” said Raj, who then got out.

  Fiona sighed. “Been a crazy few days.”

  Cal moved forward, between the front seats, pulled her towards him and kissed her. “You don’t have to worry about me, I’m okay.”

  “It’s just…”

  “You’re worried about what I can do, that it’s making me someone different?”

  “We don’t know what’s happening from one day to the next. Back at the camp, it started to feel…”

  “Normal?”

  “Yeah, well as much as it can do.”

  “We get Abbey back, then we can decide where we want to go. Back to the camp, or maybe somewhere else, who knows what other communities survived.”

  “I don’t think they will want to let you go, you’re too useful to them.”

  Cal smiled. “That’s our choice and anyway there will be others that can work with them.”

  Fiona’s radio cracked then Zach’s voice came through. “Looks all clear in here, bring the supplies in. Back up the vehicles as close as you can to the main entrance, we will use the tank as a barricade.”

  As Cal, Fiona and the rest left their vehicles, the gloomy sun had passed below the horizon, and the rain started to fall again. High above in the gray heavens a shadow moved and swayed, watching.

  CHAPTER 15

  A man in eighties heavy metal leather clothes screamed, and a stadium full of creatures responded, laughing and making unrecognisable sounds of joy. Abbey had almost gotten used to the dream she was repeatedly having. This time she thought she would do something different. Standing, she moved up the aisle, and walked under a bright green neon sign that said “Cascade.” She continued through a dark shadow infested hallway until she came out into a deserted lobby only half lit. Everywhere she looked where placards and posters. “Tickets to the Cascade, brought to you by Arclight! One night only!” She started to feel uneasy. Her face was sweating. She needed to get some air. Walking down some impressive stairs, she ran across the plush carpet, and through ornate glass doors, into…a jungle.