by Phil Maxey
Zach did as asked, and soon they were stopped at a junction.
Ahead of them was a large parking lot behind which sat a number of small stores, and one large one all contained within the same building complex.
“There’s no windows facing the highway and the roof’s too exposed,” said Fiona looking at the main store.
They all urgently looked around for a place to hide. The distant roar of engines was hard to ignore.
Zach noticed the number of high advertising signs that littered both sides of the multilane road and drove south a few hundred yards and stopped. To the left were a number of single story buildings, with lots of trees intermingled with them. He leaned forward to get a better look and one of the buildings had a parking lot behind it. He then clicked on his radio. “On the left, behind the white building, there’s a parking lot, we’re parking there. Over.”
Zach pulled off, soon entering the parking lot and then coming to a stop where the building and trees completely covered any sight of their vehicles from the highway and the road.
“If we get spotted, we get back on the road behind us, and escape south,” said Fiona looking back at her map.
Zach’s radio came to life. “What’s the plan chief, they sound like they are not too far off. Over,” said Bower.
Even sitting in the Humvee with it’s engine idling and the tank not far away doing the same, the rumble of hundreds of vehicles moving towards them some miles away, could be heard clearly.
“Kill the engines. Over,” said Zach. “Everyone outside, now.”
Soon everyone from the three vehicles apart from Wyatt, were standing in a small group.
“There’s obviously a lot of vehicles coming our way, our job is to record as much of what they got as possible and get that information back to the camp. If we get spotted, we don’t fight, we run.” he pointed over their shoulders to the wide road which ran away to the south. “We move down there as quickly as possible, the tank will cover our rear, the truck will be in the middle and the Humvee taking point. If the tank is lost, the truck stops to pick up survivors and we’re cover you. Everyone got that? If we get split up use the pharmacy at Jackson to meet up. Wait a few hours, get supplies then try to get back to the camp if you don’t hear from anyone else.”
Everyone nodded and murmured that they did.
Zach looked up at an advertising hoarding, which stood about thirty feet off the ground. It had a metal ladder running up its main post, and a platform on each side. He looked at Cal. “I need you up there, watching and relaying back what you see on the highway.” Cal nodded and ran in the direction of the roadside sign.
Fiona went to say something to him, but stopped.
Zach then looked at the others. “Drivers, be inside your vehicles and be ready to move out if things go sideways,” he looked at Fiona. “You drive the Humvee.”
She nodded and got into the drivers seat.
“And what do you want my squad to be doing?” said Bower.
“Your job is to cover our asses if any of us get seen.”
Bower nodded then turned to his squad around him. “You heard the man, take up defensive positions, and do not, I repeat, do not allow yourself to be seen by the enemy.”
A united “Yes, sir!” came back from his people, who then started to fan out.
Zach looked at Michael, who looked a bit lost. “Michael, I want you to keep an eye on Wyatt, we might need use of his abilities,” Michael nodded and walked to the back of the truck.
Finally he turned to the crew of the tank, with Corporal Bell standing outside the rear of it. “Gabe, I need you to stay in contact with the camp, report back as much as you can.”
He nodded and disappeared back inside the armored shell.
Zach walked to the rear of the truck and looked inside, where Michael immediately shook his head on seeing him. Wyatt sat opposite him his arms wrapped around himself, rocking back and forth slightly.
Michael went to put his hand on Wyatt, and the young man slapped it away.
“What’s going on Wyatt?” Zach had to raise his voice to be heard over the constant drumming of heavy machinery moving towards them.
“I can’t fight, I’m not a soldier!”
“No ones asking you to fight, Wyatt, I just need you to keep Mo out of sight, until the convoy passes. Can you do that?”
Wyatt shook his head in such a way that Zach couldn’t tell if he agreed or disagreed. “Yes, I’ll try.”
Zach looked at Michael who gave a subtle nod in return.
The low drumming of engines continued. There was no sign of what was causing the noise yet, but from the ground shaking it sounded they were close by.
Cal got to the top of the sign and stepped out onto the small platform on the side which could not be seen by the highway. He then pulled his rifle from over his shoulder and looked down the scope. The highway was clearly visible. He clicked on his radio. “I can see the highway. Nothing yet. Over.”
Shadows stretched across the ground as the clouds made good on their promise and a fine rain started to fall.
Bower looked through a small window from inside an office. He and Hayes were inside a building that was formerly a community center. The highway which rose up over others was just a stones throw away from them. A shelf of small porcelain statues rattled, and a pen rolled off a desk just behind them.
Bower clicked on his radio. “They’re close. Everyone in my squad in position? Over.” Harper, Diaz and Freeman reported back they were. Bower continued. “We’re good to go Major. Over.”
Zach looked at the highway through a small set of binoculars from his position inside a gas station. He raised his radio. “Cal, you see anything?”
Zach’s words were just about audible through Cal’s radio as he held it to his ear. He went to reply he still couldn’t see any sign of them, when his hearing drew his attention to the east, in the direction they had just come from. He moved to the right of the platform he was on and looked down his rifles scope. Blocking his view were treetops, but then he saw it, a tank turret and then the tank. Then another tank.
He clicked on his radio and started to talk as loudly as he dared with the enemy within eyeshot. “I see them. Tanks. Lots of them, coming down the highway the same way we did. They are moving west. Over.”
“What type? Over,” said Bower in reply.
Cal wiped raindrops from the lens of his scope, then looked again while holding his radio to his mouth. “It’s been a while, so I don’t know the exact models, but they look fairly modern. M1’s definitely,” he shouted into his mike as anything less was being drowned out.
Now everyone could see the column of military vehicles moving along the highway behind the gray sheet of increasingly heavy rain.
Fiona sat in the Humvee, both hands on the steering wheel ready to turn the ignition. The sound of the rain hitting the roof mixed with the exchanges on the radio, and Cal describing what he was seeing. She was doing her best not to get too anxious.
A minute passed with Cal trying to record as much as he could. “I’ve counted thirty-five battle tanks. Now it’s light tanks like what we have, and APC’s. Over.”
In the truck Wyatt took a deep breath. Each time Michael’s radio came to life with Cal’s voice his heart missed a beat. Wyatt had put Mo back into his sleepy state and the winged creature was sitting on the ground close to the truck, with its wings pulled in.
“Is he okay like that?“ said Michael nodding to Mo.
“Ha, yeah,” said Wyatt nervously. “It doesn’t hurt him. All he knows is he feels sleepy,” he then touched his head.
“What is it?”
“Cascaders. I’m feeling—” his breathing became labored.
Michael leaned forward, putting his hand on Wyatt’s arm. “You okay?”
“Yes, sorry. There are at least forty Cascaders in that convoy, maybe more. It’s hard for me to know, because they are close together.”
“Like they are traveling in t
he same vehicles?”
“Yes.”
Michael clicked on his radio. “Wyatt is sensing a whole lot of Cascaders in the convoy. They’re traveling close together. Over.”
Just as Cal heard Michael’s message, he noticed two yellow school buses similar to what they had traveled to Portland in. Apart from the color they stood out because they were the only non-military vehicles he had seen so far. “There are two school buses. I’m sensing the Cascaders could be in those. Over.”
“Any sign of the end of the convoy? Over,” said Zach.
“No. Over,” said Cal.
“I’m sensing them too. Over,” said Diaz. She knelt with Harper inside a small wooden shed, which was amongst some trees near the highway. “They are close now, maybe in those—Shit.”
“What is it Diaz?” Said Bower.
Before she had a chance to answer Michael’s voice came from everyone’s radio. “Wyatt is sensing E.L.F’s approaching from the south, behind us. He says they are big, pissed off and heading towards the convoy. Over.”
“Cal, can you see anything? Over.” said Zach.
Cal swung around, and looked over the roofs of restaurants, gas stations and stores which lined the road. The rain and the setting sun made everything look a shade of light gray. “I’m looking now. Over.” At first he thought it was just smoke or low clouds, but then he saw the large colorless forms moving and growing larger. “Yeah I see them, looks like two. Bipedal and standing at least twice as high as the platform I’m on. They are about six miles out. Over.”
Zach swore to himself, and clicked on his radio. “Cal, get down from there, and get back to the vehicles. Everyone else, hold your positions and keep your heads down. Let’s see how this plays out. Over.”
Cal took one last look at the convoy, which had now changed from countless armored vehicles to army trucks and more common semi-trucks. Just as he was about to climb down the ladder, he noticed they had stopped moving. He held his rifle up again and looked along the breadth of vehicles, which stretched for a few miles in both directions. He swept his scope towards the front, where the tanks were. Their turrets were slowly turning towards the oncoming E.L.F’s. He then had an idea.
He clicked on his radio. “Zach, I think I can control these E.L.F’s, focus their attack on the tanks. Over.”
The rain fell heavy and loud.
“Too risky Cal, get your ass back down here and get to cover. Over.”
Cal shook his head. “No, I got this, everyone just keep hidden. Over,” he briefly heard Fiona’s voice as he clamped the radio to his belt, and looked toward the E.L.F’s that were now just a few miles away. He didn’t need his scope to see them. They looked like dark brown ape like creatures, with leathery hides and long hair on their arms. Their faces were mostly teeth with dark recessed eyes.
He closed his own, and saw the creatures with his mind. Concentrating as the rain ran down his face, he felt their presence and rage at the convoy behind him. As he opened his eyes, the ground shook and he almost lost his grip on the pole he was holding as the creatures thundered over the concrete of the road towards the highway.
Cars and street poles came crashing down as the creatures pace quickened. Cal strained his mind and projected outwards, focusing on the creatures and the tanks at the head of the convoy.
With each step, the ground shuddered, and the mast that Cal was on, started to creak and lean slightly. Cal quickly threw his rifle over his shoulder and gripped the pole with both hands.
The behemoth of a creature strode past him just yards away. He looked up at the beast which was terrifying and awe inspiring in equal measure.
The creature roared making Cal duck down. I can’t stay here. He grabbed hold of the top part of the ladder when a sensation gave him a jolt. He could feel her on the highway beyond. Abbey was there. He clicked on his radio and was just about to talk, when multiple explosions fired off in the distance. Cal only heard the first two.
As soon as Fiona had heard Cal’s refusal to come down from the advertising hoarding, she had gotten out of the Humvee and started walking towards him, trying to stay low and not be seen.
She had seen the large creatures approaching, as her walk became a run towards the advertising sign, and she was just yards away when a tank shell exploded completely destroying it.
When she regained consciousness Zach was looking down at her. She could see his mouth moving, but all she could hear was a high pitch whine. She looked past him at where the sign once stood and saw only gray sky.
Looking to her left slightly the huge creature was staggering backwards, blood running down it’s house sized torso and part of its arm was missing. She then felt hands lifting her up and once again she was moving, but this time away from the pieces of metal that lay strewn around her.
She resisted best she could, trying to move her legs and arms to get back to where she knew Cal must be, but at the back of her mind two words started to emerge from the shadows. Two words she would not accept. He’s gone.
CHAPTER 17
The former city of Boston looked even more alien than Abbey remembered from her previous dream. What glimpses there were of human skyscrapers were now gone, covered by vine and flowers so vibrant and colorful that she would have been happy to just stay where she was and look at them.
But she wanted to explore. Pushing away the leaves and branches from her face, she walked forward and was soon back at the entrance of the large palace that had become overgrown. It wasn’t as hot as before, and she walked through the lobby area and out into the huge open space. The creatures that were there ran for cover, but she ignored them instead heading straight for the cocoon looking crystal sarcophagi.
She pulled herself up with the vines that had grown over them, and looked into the broken image of a face she knew well. Her mother was encapsulated within, looking serene with her eyes closed. Jumping down Abbey then climbed up upon the other, and her father was similarly sleeping.
She banged on the solid clear surface to try to get any kind of response from inside, but it was useless, her blows didn’t shake the thing she was on top of at all.
Behind her she felt a presence and she turned to see the large blue demonic looking creature. “What do you want from me!” she shouted.
The creature pointed at the crystal covered sarcophagi, and just as Abbey looked back to her fathers face, a booming sound echoed around the building, making her almost lose her grip. She looked back at the creature but it was gone. Again the thundering noise rang out and masonry started to fall from high above.
She raised her hand above her head, as dust rained down on her. She then heard a voice she recognized.
“Abbey?”
She turned. Cal was standing looking at her.
“So this is where you go in your dreams?” he smiled.
“What? Why are you here?” a feeling of unease began to settle inside her.
“Tell Fiona I love her.”
“What? Why can’t you tell her!” she blinked and her words passed through open space. He was gone.
Another huge explosion rattled the ceiling high above. She looked up. The large dome started to crack. She jumped down and ran for the exit, but it was too late. As she looked up the ceiling was falling and there was nothing she could do.
Abbey awoke in the back of an army truck. Around her the sound of explosions and rain invaded her senses quicker than she could make sense of them.
She blinked and tried to talk, but her dry throat got the better of her and her questions fell flat. Opposite and to her side were the people of the Hell fire gang, accept now it had become an army. They had panicked looks on their faces.
“Did you see it? It was huge! Like a giant gorilla!” said one young man with a large gap in his teeth.
A young woman sneered. “It ain’t shit, it’s dead now. Its friend ran off.”
The truck started moving again, making Abbey sway back and forth a little. She had no idea where she was or why she w
as there. The only thing anyone had told her was she was needed. She hated the idea of being used almost as much as the pain which still pulsated through her left wrist. Always a pawn.
She wanted to push those thoughts away. They were what got her into the mess back when she was working at the DOD and what she did to the satellites. But she knew it was a source of anger and right now she needed that.
The drug they had given her had finally gone through her system, but those around her didn’t need to know that, so she allowed her eyes to close once again while listening.
“She awake?” said the same young woman she had just heard. “Hey! Stupid bitch, you awake yet?” This time her voice was so close Abbey could feel her feted breath on her cheeks.
“I gave her two of those yellow pills, she’s going to be out for a few more hours yet,” said an older male voice to Abbey’s right. From the accent it sounded northeastern. “Unless you wake her up sooner, then you’ll going to have to baby-sit her.”
“Yeah, don’t wake her up Lilly, I don’t want her doing her special power thing and bringing more of those Gorilla’s down on our heads,” said the younger man.
“She so purty, she so purty, that’s all I heard from the guys back at the camp. Well I like a girl with a bit more meat on her!” said the girl.
“When she wakes, why don’t you ask her on a date!” the young man laughed. There was a thump noise. “Oww, damn Lilly why can’t you take a joke?”
“I said she’s not my type dumb ass!”
“I get it, calm down.”
A few seconds of silence passed.
“I still can’t believe Geneva’s gone. You believe he had a heart attack?” said the young man.
“If that’s what Troy and Clovis say, then that’s what happened,” said the older man.
“Yeah but, I know he was like old, but he seemed like he was one of those in-shape old timers.”
Abbey sensed a slight movement to her right. “Brett, I know you got one of those minds that won’t quit, but you need to stop asking questions, okay? You got that?” said the older man.