Realm of the Raiders

by Christopher Artinian

  “Right, lads, chances are this thing will be as stiff as hell and these doors are usually concrete filled, so we’re gonna have to put some welly into it,” said Thomson as he slid the compass into his pocket. He grabbed one side of the wheel and Hooper and Defreitas manoeuvred themselves so they could get a grip on the other side. “Right, pull,” said Thomson. The wheel began to turn, and after two revolutions, Hooper and Defreitas backed away, letting Thomson finish opening it himself. “Sweet,” he said as the other two men grabbed hold once again to help him pull the weighty door open. It scraped loudly as it skidded along its runners to reveal the opening to the shelter. It was dark inside and the three men brought out torches to see what was ahead. Their beams found a second blast door just a few feet down the corridor.

  “I suppose it’s like wearing two johnnies, always best to be safe,” quipped Hooper, getting a small chuckle from the other two.

  “Right, same drill as before, lads,” said Thomson, putting his torch on the ground and grabbing hold of the wheel. This time the wheel was stiffer and it gave a deafening shriek as it finally turned. The three men puffed with the effort but knew that they were nearly in. The trio grabbed hold and pushed the door to the side, grateful for it being on tracks. Beyond the door was a pitch-dark corridor. The direction of the sun meant that only the first few metres were illuminated by the morning light. The three men picked up their torches and headed into the shelter. They walked slowly and deliberately, shining the light on each door as they passed.

  “Communications room,” said Thomson excitedly as he turned the knob. The three men entered and saw that it was empty except for an old wooden desk and two cork noticeboards on the wall. “Shit, it was a long shot I suppose.”

  “You never know, Tommo, we might find something we can use,” said Hooper, not willing to give up the search just yet. They backed out of the room and continued down the hallway. On the right, Hooper shone his torch onto a sign that said “Clinic”. “Here we go, there might be some surgical spirit we can get pissed on if nothing else,” he said as he twisted the door knob. The door swung open and the three of them turned towards the shelter entrance as the roar of a chainsaw sounded once again in the distance. The split-second diversion was all that it took for them to be taken off guard. Multiple growls emanated from the room, followed by pouncing creatures which leapt beyond the torches, through the dark and up to the three men standing in the doorway.

  Hooper fell back, too taken by surprise to even let out a scream. His torch somersaulted from his hand. Each time the beam flicked to the interior of the clinic, he saw more and more snarling grey faces. His Maglite torch hit the floor at the same time he did, and in its beam he could just make out a stretching mouth as it sank its teeth into his neck. He cried out, but his shriek was muffled by the mop of foul-smelling hair that filled his mouth. He gagged and wailed as he realised his life was over. Defreitas was knocked off balance by his friend and inadvertently shoved Thomson into the wall. An arm lunged at Defreitas, tearing four strips of skin from his face as the clawed hand tried to reach over the fallen Hooper to find prey of its own. The soldier let out an inhuman howl as the growling creature lunged again, this time getting better purchase on Defreitas, angling its head and crunching its teeth through the bridge of its victim’s nose. Blood gushed out, and the soldier’s cries became choked-off gurgles as his throat filled with thick coppery liquid.

  Thomson regained his balance and sprinted down the corridor towards the light, letting out a girlish scream as he went. He reached for his sidearm and behind him heard a muffled voice shout his name. He ran even faster as he heard more and more footsteps following him and gaining pace. He turned to shoot in the hope that he could cause one of them to stumble; that would give him the time he would need to get to the entrance and make his escape. He pulled the trigger and the sound almost deafened him. The bullet ricocheted off the breeze-block walls and hit nothing. That was Thomson’s final mistake. His plan had misfired and the group of RAMs were less than a metre behind him as he reached the doorway. As he began running up the ramp, he felt a clawed hand reach for him. It didn’t grab hold but it knocked him off balance, and that split second was all the others needed to pounce.

  He screamed like a wounded animal as the first beast straddled him while he lay on the ground. Its grey eyes and dancing pupils sent a ghoulish shiver down Thomson’s spine. The creature’s mouth opened wide, revealing dark yellow teeth and gums almost black with disease. The RAM wore the uniform of a soldier. Obviously others had shared Thomson’s idea of finding safety at the camp, but now the point was moot. Thomson stopped screaming as he felt another creature bite into his leg. The monster on top of him began to move its teeth closer to the exposed skin of his face and neck. Thomson brought his sidearm up, pointed it towards his attacker and fired. The bullet went straight through its head, erupting in a fountain of blood and tissue. The body slumped forward, knocking the wind out of him, but that didn’t matter now. As he felt another set of teeth begin to gnaw at his left leg, he brought the gun up to his own temple and fired again. His hand fell back, releasing the gun and giving the hungry beasts free rein to feed on him.

  *

  The villagers let out a small cheer as the fifth tree trunk was expertly cut to size. The soldiers were enjoying working with an audience and they quickly erected the trunks in a square, with the fifth, larger one placed in the middle. They had dug holes for each trunk, then packed earth and rocks around to secure them. When they next came back from a supply trip they would redo them with a concrete base, but this would be fine for now. They fixed plastic sheeting over the top, covering the area below except for a handful of holes deliberately punctured around the central support so that smoke could escape from the fires that would burn. Some of the villagers, meanwhile, had disassembled the cookers in the kitchen and begun to bring various parts out to be used in creating the makeshift ovens and grills.

  “Anybody fancy a bit of hot stew for tea tonight?” asked one of the soldiers to raucous cheers from the villagers. The troops all smiled at each other. Things hadn’t gone to plan since leaving Candleton, but the prospect of a warm meal brought real cheer to them.

  “What do you suppose that’s all about?” asked Lucy as the celebration went up.

  “They’re building an outdoor kitchen,” replied Tuttle. “I guess they must have finished it.”

  Lucy laughed to herself as she went back to taking the blood pressure of her patient.

  “What’s so funny, Doc?” asked Hughes as the band tightened on his arm.

  “It’s just funny how quickly things can change. Two years ago, could you even imagine any of this? Those people out there. The odd one might have been camping, most will have had barbecues, but would any of them have thought seriously about building an outdoor kitchen? And now they’re cheering as if it’s the height of luxury.” She pressed a button on the monitor and made a note in her book. “Getting stronger by the hour. We’ll have you back on your feet in no time.”

  “Thanks, Doc, I really appreciate everything you’re doing, and I’m sorry for all this,” he said, gesturing towards the infirmary and beyond.

  “Hey, it’s not your fault, sweetie, you didn’t drag me here,” she replied warmly, taking hold of his hand.

  “I know, but if I hadn’t have been shot, I bet Shaw wouldn’t have even thought about bringing you along.”

  “That’s dumb. You got shot saving all of our lives, you were fighting for our survival. You’ve got nothing to apologise for. I can guarantee you, the one thing that will give Mike any peace of mind is knowing that you’re here with me. He makes his mind up about people pretty quickly and trust me, he rates you, Private Hughes.” She let go of his hand and headed to the medicine cabinet where all the supplies from the ambulance had been dumped. The corners of Hughes’s mouth turned up in a small smile.

  *

  Mike pulled the handbrake on as the convoy came to a halt on the hillside. The sun was
a welcome sight and the green grass up and down the slope gently shimmered and waved in the warm glow. Mike and Raj climbed out of the snow plough, and everybody else in the convoy did the same. The journey to this point had been relatively uneventful. The plough had come in useful on just two occasions. First, when they had gone through a village whose dead inhabitants had blocked the road; they had been dispatched in a grizzly cascade by the blade of the plough. The second time, the plough had cleared a pathway through a pile-up of several mangled vehicles. Now the group were in sight of their final destination. Raj retrieved his binoculars and pointed them in the direction of the small village, and beyond to the dock, where a few boats of various sizes were moored.

  “There she is,” he said to Mike, handing him the binoculars.

  Mike took them and panned around, looking for any signs of danger. “And you think this guy of yours will have kept her in working order?

  “As I said, Mike, he was a friend of my uncle’s for years. He had an arrangement with him that during winter months he would turn the boat over every couple of weeks and keep up any repairs. When I bought the boat from my uncle, I kept the same arrangement. Also, the batteries will be disconnected to make sure the charge does not run down. There is no need to worry, my friend, she will be fine. We just need to make sure we have enough fuel,” he said, taking the binoculars back.

  “The place looks abandoned,” said Mike. “I can’t see any people, any RAMs, nothing. It’s like a ghost village.”

  “Well, it was never exactly bustling, but I take your point, there seems to be a staggering lack of any activity.”

  Emma came up behind them. “So what’s the plan?” she asked, taking the binoculars from Raj and aiming them towards the village.

  “Get down there, get on the boat and head off before we get torn to pieces by something that looks like it’s just come off the set of a Lucio Fulci film,” replied Mike dryly.

  “Okay, smart arse, and how do we do that exactly?” replied Emma.

  Mike turned around to look at his sister. “It all looks clear. Unless anybody’s got any better ideas, I suggest we drive straight to the dock. You and I will keep guard while Raj prepares the boat and everyone else loads it. If anybody’s got a better plan, now’s the time to speak.” He looked towards Raj and then back to his sister. Neither said anything; they just carried on looking towards the silent village. “Okay then, let’s do this.”

  Mike climbed back into the cab of the snow plough. Emma and Raj looked at each other uneasily. They didn’t have a better plan, but Mike’s plan and attitude seemed a little gung-ho for either of their likings. The engine of the huge vehicle coughed into action and Raj climbed back in while Emma returned to her car.

  The hill was steep and Mike kept in a low gear all the way down, making the engine whine as it went. The plough slowed further as it took the tight bend that preceded the approach to the village. The convoy picked up speed as it passed the first of the small cottages. Emma, Raj and Talikha all flicked nervous glances to the windows to see if there were faces, human or otherwise, watching the vehicles. There were not. They navigated the narrow streets hastily and shortly arrived on the stretch of road that led to the loading area of the small dock. The three vehicles ground to a halt, and for a moment, no-one got out. They simply looked around, waiting for something to happen. Eventually, Mike opened his door and climbed down from the cab, swinging his rucksack onto his shoulder as he went. He signalled for Emma to join him. “I want you to go with Raj and make sure that the rest of the dock is secure before we get Sammy and Jake out.” She nodded, raised her shotgun and headed to the dock with Raj following her.

  Mike signalled for the rest of the group to stay inside their vehicles and then positioned himself between them and the village. If man or beast headed their way, it would be Mike who saw it first.

  Emma and Raj walked along the wooden pier side by side. Emma had taken to wearing a rucksack on her back just like her brother, and various objects, like the handle of a small axe, and a tyre iron, protruded from the small zipped opening, ready to be grabbed if the situation demanded it.

  “It is a little odd, but there are nowhere near the amount of boats on the dock that one would normally expect to see. Alan – the gentleman who maintains my cruiser in the winter months – his boat is not here, nor is his friend’s. It is most unusual,” said Raj, looking at the spaces along the pier.

  “Maybe they’ve all got the same idea,” said Emma, scouring the area for any signs of movement.

  “Here she is,” announced Raj as they stopped at a vessel of thirty feet plus.

  “Whoa, your vet’s practice must have been doing okay before everything went to hell,” said Emma, marvelling at the luxurious cruiser. Raj smiled and climbed on board and then turned back to assist Emma, who ignored his hand and leapt on energetically.

  “Let’s quickly check it out, make sure there are no stowaways, and then I’ll check the rest of the pier is clear before we start getting loaded”. The pair headed into the spacious saloon and checked the cabins, galley and toilets. When she was happy the vessel was unoccupied, Emma left Raj to prepare the cruiser while she patrolled the surrounds.

  “They’re loading up now,” said Emma, rejoining her brother at the far end of the small dock. “Have you seen anything?”

  “Nothing. It’s like everybody just picked up and left. It’s a little unnerving actually, a whole village abandoned like this. You’d expect to see something,” Mike said, continuing his surveillance.

  “Raj said that there were quite a few boats missing.” Mike winced at hearing this. “What’s wrong?” asked Emma.

  “We were going to take the diesel we needed from the other boats in the dock. If people have taken the boats, chances are there won’t be much diesel left either.” He let out a big sigh. “All I’d like is for one fucking thing to go smoothly. Is that asking too much?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Beth and her two siblings were enjoying the levity shared by the rest of the crowd as everyone watched the makeshift kitchen take form. While several soldiers and villagers assembled the new cookers, Carter revved the chainsaw into action once again and began chopping another log into smaller pieces to be used as supports for the erected poles. Little could be heard over the roar of the powerful machine and the cheers of the crowd, but something made Beth look down. It was more of a feeling than any specific event. She noticed Humphrey sat bolt upright, baring his teeth. She knelt down beside him but his attention did not stray from the woods. His eyes were fixed. She put her hand on the soft fur of his chest and could feel the vibration of a constant growl. She stood up quickly and pulled Tracey towards her.

  “Something’s wrong. Let’s go back to the barracks,” she shouted into Tracey’s ear.

  Tracey’s smile didn’t waver as she looked at Beth’s concerned face and then down towards the dog. “You need to relax, Beth, we’re safe here. That dog growls at everything. Just enjoy the moment, won’t you?” she said and walked further into the crowd.

  Beth was undeterred. This time she sought out Barnes; he was stood to the side of the crowd. He had a smile on his face, as they all did at the thought of having hot food once again, but beneath the smile he was preoccupied with thoughts of Thomson’s coup d’état. This time, when Beth imparted the news of Humphrey’s hackles rising, she got a more sympathetic reaction. Barnes was a big dog lover, he knew they were intelligent and intuitive, he’d seen them sniff out IEDs in Afghanistan and he’d heard how Humphrey had sensed the RAMs before they appeared, back in the village. He walked across to Carter, who didn’t turn the chainsaw off but stopped cutting for a moment to listen to him.

  “Stop being such a fucking pussy, Barnes,” he spat as he looked towards the deserted tree line. Then he began cutting again, to the delight of his small audience.

  Barnes walked back to Beth. He took hold of her arm and shouted to be heard over the chainsaw and crowd. “Get your brother and sister and come w
ith me.”

  Beth whipped off her belt, looped it through Humphrey’s collar and took a firm hold of Annie’s hand, who then took hold of John’s. The two children had to run to keep up with the fast pace of the adults. Beth and Barnes kept looking back at the crowd and towards the tree line. Humphrey had stopped growling and seemed content to be heading in the opposite direction. They had just reached the back of the admin building when the first scream sounded above the roar of the chainsaw. They stuttered in mid-stride and then swung their heads back to see the carnage unfold. Seconds after that scream they saw the first person fall to the ground with a RAM already on top of them. All the soldiers had put their weapons down while they worked and they now used up valuable seconds retrieving them while the beasts launched their attack. One of the creatures lunged for Carter, who brought the heavy mechanical blade down with force. It sliced off the RAM’s ear and bit into its shoulder, scooping blood and soft tissue into the serrated blades and spraying it into the soldier’s face and mouth. He screamed with panic as he tasted death on his lips and tongue. The fight in him evaporated as he realised he had already lost. With the chainsaw rattling down through its rib cage, the creature pushed forward and bit into Carter’s stunned face.

  The rest of the crowd began to race in different directions, each hoping they could find safety before they too were attacked. The guns commenced firing, but the serious damage had already been done. The space left by the fleeing crowd revealed eight villagers and soldiers already down. The remaining troops were trying to take aim and run at the same time, with little success.