by Ben Hammott
“Shush, and listen,” ordered Fredricks, cocking an ear along the corridor to catch the slightest sound. “Wilson, Tapper, aim your lights down the corridor.”
The soldier’s lights joined Everly’s pointed down the dark passage.
Fredricks peered at the farthest reach of the beams. He wasn’t certain if it was his imagination or something waited in the darkness just beyond the edge of light. “Turn off your lights,” he ordered softly.
“Errr, you sure that’s a wise move, Sergeant?” argued Everly. If there was a creature nearby, the last thing he wanted to be was in pitch blackness.
“Just do as you’re damn well ordered,” snapped Fredricks. Higgins, you be ready to switch yours on again when I say. The rest of you aim your weapons down the corridor, but don’t shoot until I give the order. I want to check it’s the creature and not the museum staff or one of the other team.”
The corridors became cloaked in darkness when the lights were switched off.
All eyes stared along the pitch-black corridor and at the two red dots about fifty yards away. None were certain what they were until they blinked and started moving closer. The clacking of the creature’s claws started up again and increased in speed.
Nervous fingers hovered over triggers.
Higgins’s finger rested on the flashlight button as he wondered when the sergeant would give the order to turn it on. Whatever was coming, it was coming quickly.
When Fredricks judged the creature had moved far enough forward to be unable to dodge back into the darkness, he gave the order to light up the corridor, “Now, Higgins!”
The single beam stabbed the darkness and highlighted the ferocious monstrosity rushing toward them.
Fredricks adjusted his weapon’s aim to bring the monster in its sight. “FIRE!”
The gunshots were deafening within the confines of the corridors.
Flashes lit up the anxious soldiers faces as bullets spat from their weapons.
To avoid the bullets, the monster leapt at the wall. Its claws dug into the plaster and left behind a trail of gouges and falling debris. When the bullets homed in on it, it leapt across to the opposite wall.
The soldiers aim tried to follow the creature’s incredibly fast and erratic movements. Their bullets failed to strike their target and tore chunks of plaster from the walls and ceiling.
Even though the flashlight shook in Higgins’s frightened grip, he had better luck keeping the monster in the wide beam of light. Though he wanted to use his rifle, he resisted the urge. It was essential he kept the monster highlighted so the others could kill it.
The monster leapt onto the ceiling when a bullet creased its shoulder. It ignored the burning pain and focused on reaching the humans as quickly as possible. When it was amongst them, their weapons would be useless.
Fredricks stared with a mixture of fear and amazement at the creature running upside down along the ceiling as he reloaded his revolver. Light fittings in its path were ripped from their mounts and crashed to the floor. It was damn fast. In a few seconds it would be upon them if they didn’t kill it first, which seemed unlikely with its incredible knack for dodging their bullets. Accepting the ambush had failed, he glanced around for a solution. They needed to do something fast before all their guns were empty.
“Quick, men, head right and enter the first door you come to,” ordered Fredricks. He resumed firing at the creature that had dropped to the floor and screeched at them while it dodged left and right and leapt on and off both sides of the corridor almost too fast for them to follow.
Everly remained with the sergeant firing at the creature as the others rushed along the corridor.
Fredricks heard Everly’s rifle click on empty. “Go! I’m right behind you.”
Fredricks emptied his gun at the creature and was just about to follow Everly when the creature screeched and crashed to the floor. He had hit it. Wondering if it was dead, he halted his retreat and watched the monster rolling nearer, its limbs flaying limply. Suddenly, the monster regained its footing, snarled at him and leapt. Fredricks spun and ran while trying to reload. Bullets he fumbled in his panic clinked to the floor. He heard the monster land on the spot he had just vacated and glanced ahead at Tapper’s voice.
“Hurry, Sergeant, he’s right on your tail.”
Fredricks noticed Wilson aim his rifle toward him, but thought it unlikely the man would get a clear shot of the creature. Only five yards to go.
Hesitant to fire for fear of hitting the sergeant, Wilson nipped inside the room so the door could be closed as soon as the sergeant was inside.
Fredricks stared at the door so close now. The clack-clack of the creature’s claws on the floor sounded even closer.
The monster extended a claw to grab the fleeing human, but only succeeded in ripping the human’s strange coverings.
As soon as the sergeant was near enough, Higgins grabbed his arm and yanked him inside the room. Both men spilled to the floor, as the door was slammed shut.
The monster snarled when the human was pulled from its reach. It leapt onto the wall opposite the door that slammed shut and sprung.
Relieved to have escaped from the creature’s clutches, Fredricks rolled off Higgins and nodded his thanks to the man.
The door burst open with a loud splintering of wood.
Torn from its hinges, the door struck Everly, knocking him to the floor.
The creature landed on Fredricks and ran its claws down the man’s chest. Its teeth bit flesh from his neck and silenced his agonized screams.
Higgins rolled away from the terrible creature, jumped to his feet and staggered back into Tapper, who had raised his hastily reloaded rifle to shoot the creature. The bullet previously aimed at its head struck the creature’s leg.
The monster jerked its head at the human responsible and swallowed the partly chewed lump of Fredrick’s bloody flesh. It was about to leap on Tapper when it shot to the side.
When Wilson had recovered from the shock of the monster bursting into the room, he gripped the barrel of his empty rifle and slammed it with all the force he could muster into the side of the creature’s head, knocking it to the floor. The satisfying crunch of bone was his reward.
Everly barged Higgins aside, aimed at the monster’s chest and pulled the trigger. Three bullets struck before the creature regained its footing and leapt aside. A trail of bullets followed the dazed creature back through the door. Everly rushed after it and got off two shots before the creature rounded a corner of the intersection. He remained at the door on guard in case the creature returned and gazed back into the room at the sergeant, who was obviously dead.
Higgins dragged his gaze away from the corpse and looked at Everly. “Whatever that thing was, it’s bigger than we were led to believe.”
Wilson began reloading his weapon. “I believe it’s some type of newly discovered species one of the museum’s archeologists brought back from the Amazon jungle.”
“I bet they wished they had left it where they found it,” stated Tapper. He knew he was.
Everly glanced along the corridor. “Come on, we had better get after it.”
Higgins glanced at the body again. “What about the sergeant?”
“Nothing we can do for him now,” said Everly, avoiding looking at his dead friend again. “But there’s still others in the museum we might be able to save if we can find the creature and kill it.”
“And how are we supposed to do that?” asked Higgins. You shot it three times in the chest and didn’t stop it, and how are we going to find it? It moves so damn fast it could be anywhere by now.”
Everly pointed his rifle at the droplets of blood that led from the room and along the corridor. “I might not have killed it, but it’s wounded and left us a trail to follow, so let’s get after it. It bleeds, so it has to die if we shoot it enough times.”
Everly headed along the corridor. Wilson, Higgins and Tapper followed him from the room. They followed the trail through th
e maze of corridors to one lined either side with tall specimen drawers. Everly halted the nervous men. The blood trail had ended.
Higgins screamed when something dropped on him. Claws raked his face. As he fell to the floor, the monster wrapped around his head kicked out a leg at Wilson. The extended talons entered his eyes and gouged long rips of skin down the side of his face. His agonized screams joined Higgins’s filling the corridor.
Tapper, shocked and horrified by the sudden, vicious attack, stumbled away from the carnage.
Everly spun with his rifle raised. Momentarily frozen by the horrific sight of his fallen comrades and the monster so close he could smell its fetid odour, he squandered the few seconds he had available to save himself.
The monster leapt at Everly. It landed on his chest, knocking him off balance. Everly thumped at the creature as he fell, knocking it clear. He rolled on landing and swung the weapon at the monster beside him. A swipe of its powerful claw knocked the unfired weapon from his frightened grasp, it clattered to the floor. He raised his arms to protect against the attack and watched in horror as the monster grabbed one of his hands in its maw and bit down. It strong jaws and sharp teeth sliced effortlessly through skin and bone. Blood sprayed from Everly’s wrist when he jerked his arm free. Overcome by shock, he had yet to feel the intense pain. He stared at the monster chewing his severed hand and doubted he would survive its next attack. Running footsteps behind turned his head. Tapper fled for his life. He didn’t blame the man. No one should face such horror. When he turned back, the monster’s face was only inches from his own. Everly stared into the emotionless eyes of utter evil and death.
The monster sniffed his meal and ran its tongue up the human’s cheek, finding the salty sweat a pleasant taste, but it was the flesh it wanted. A spread claw gripped the back of Everly’s head as it opened its jaws. The human’s terrified scream, momentarily muffled when its jaws enclosed his face, died to a gurgled whimper when it bit down hard enough to crush the skull and ripped his face away. The monster let the dying human collapse to the floor and while it chomped bone and flesh, it glanced along the corridor at the fading footsteps. Confident the three corpses were enough to satisfy its current hunger, it started feasting. When it had devoured them all, it would find some way to escape its strange surroundings.
CHAPTER 18
Plan B
Greyson and Mary entered the deserted entrance hall and made their way to the main exit. The bright lights set up outside, stabbed through the glass paneled doors and windows, cutting swathes of light into the murky hall. Highlighted in the glare outside were two armed men dressed in green fatigues guarding the entrance, their backs to the doors.
“The army is here,” said Mary. “They should be better equipped to deal with the situation.”
“I see that, but why aren’t they hunting down the monster?”
“Just because we didn’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t. You know how sprawling the museum is. We could easily have missed them.”
Greyson halted at the large set of doors and tapped on the glass to alert the guards they were coming out.
Both soldiers spun with their weapons raised, but relaxed on spying the two-museum personnel.
One of them pulled the door open. “Glad to see you’re both safe.”
“Not half as glad as we are,” replied Greyson, stepping outside.
The other soldier peered through the open door. “Did you run into the two teams sent in to look for you and hunt down the creature?”
Greyson shook his head as he glanced around at the people staring over at them, recognizing a few as guests invited to view the exhibition. He assumed all wished they had declined now. “No, but the museum covers a wide area and is full of branching corridors.”
“Greyson! You mad fool.”
Greyson looked toward the voice. The mayor and a man dressed in a police uniform approached.
“What made you go after the creature?” The mayor glanced at the spears Greyson and Mary held. “And only armed with primitive weapons. You could have gotten yourselves killed.”
Greyson was aware he had been foolish. “Well, as you can see, Mayor, we survived. I understand the army has been sent in to search for the creature.”
“Yes, and to look for you two,” said the uniformed officer, who held out his hand and introduced himself. “Chief Inspector Nathan Archer of the Metropolitan Police. Did you see any sign of the mon…”
Suddenly the doors burst open. A woman screamed. A man, panting heavily, his uniform splattered with blood, ran past the surprised soldiers by the door and collapsed to the ground.
Believing the man’s sudden appearance and condition indicated the monster was close on his heels, the two door guards took a step back and aimed their weapons at the entrance.
“It’s Private Tapper,” stated one of the soldiers, glancing back at his comrade when the monster failed to make an appearance.
The chief inspector knelt beside the fallen man. “Are you okay, private?”
Tapper looked at the inspector. “Not sure I’ll ever be okay again, but I’m alive. The others weren’t so lucky.”
Nathan took in the amount of blood covering the man. “What happened?”
The…creature attacked and killed Captain Fredricks. We shot and wounded it and followed the blood trail, but it laid in ambush for us. We didn’t stand a chance. Everly, Higgins and Wilson were killed in seconds. I barely escaped with my life.”
Nathan placed a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s okay soldier, I’m sure you did all you could.”
Tapper had tears in his eyes and guilt on his face when he looked at the inspector. “That’s the thing. I didn’t. Instead of shooting the monster, I was so scared I ran.” He started sobbing.
“Where is the monster now?” asked Greyson.
Tapper shrugged.
“What size was it?” pressed Greyson.
“The size of a large wolf, but far more dangerous. It has sharp teeth and claws and it’s strong. It smashed through a door to get at us.”
Greyson wore a worried frown when he turned to Mary. “We’re too late. It’s evolved.”
Nathan stood and turned to one of the soldiers who had rushed over to find out what was happening. “Take him to your commander for debriefing.”
Two soldiers helped Tapper to his feet and led him away.
Nathan focused back on Greyson. “What do you mean, it’s evolved?”
“The creature has the ability to grow and change into a more vicious species, and from what the soldier just said, that’s what has happened.”
“It’s no longer the same monkey-sized creature that attacked us earlier?” asked the mayor in disbelief.
Greyson shook his head. “Unfortunately not. From Tapper’s description, it’s now a far deadlier opponent.”
“And how many times can this creature evolve and grow?” asked Nathan, shocked by the revelation.
Greyson’s brow creased heavily. He hadn’t considered the possibly the monster could keep evolving; he had only encountered the two versions. He looked at the expectant faces looking at him. “I have no idea, but if keeps evolving into larger, more terrifying monsters, and retains its ability to regenerate any damage it suffers, we might never be able to stop it.”
Though Nathan found it hard to believe such a creature existed, he had to accept the facts: a vicious predator with the ability to grow and change was loose in the museum and needed to be stopped as quickly as possible. “I’ll get the commander to send more teams in to hunt it down.”
“That’s not going to work,” Greyson stated.
“What’s not going to work?” asked the mayor.
“Sending in small teams to be picked off.”
Greyson turned and gazed at the museum façade that spread out before him and pictured the maze of corridors and many exhibit-filled rooms inside.
“There’s too many places for it to hide and lay in wait. Also, the layout m
akes it inadvisable to send in a large force that would be funneled into the restrictive corridors to be attacked. No, if we are going to kill it we need to change our tactics.”
“You know more about the creature than anyone else, so what do you suggest?” prompted Nathan.
Greyson looked at the inspector. “Instead of hunting it down, we bring it to us.”
Greyson explained his plan.
CHAPTER 19
Greyson’s Plan
Tucker Gates, the soldier who had stepped forward when a volunteer to accompany Greyson back inside the museum was requested, was informed by Greyson about the danger they would face and the plan to bring about the monster’s demise.
To Greyson’s surprise, Tucker accepted the information calmly and showed no reluctance to enter the museum and carry out the dangerous task. He either didn’t understand what he was about to face, was very brave, or a complete idiot.
Nathan, Mary, the Commander and the mayor watched the two men enter the labyrinthine institution. All were of the same mind. None of them envied the men’s task.
“Time for us to play our part,” said the Commander. “I’ll get my men ready.” He strode away shouting out orders to his men.
The chief inspector glanced along the street at the crowd gathered at each end behind police cordons. The news of the monster had spread like wildfire. Reporters and people, ignoring the danger, had come in the hope of catching a glimpse of it.
“The fire brigade should be on their way with the equipment we need. As soon as they arrive, I’ll get everything set up.”
The mayor stared up at the first-floor stained glass windows and focused on the one illustrated with a T-Rex. “How confident are you Greyson’s plan will work, Nathan?”
Nathan shrugged. “It’s hard to say. Greyson knows the monster better than anyone, and he is determined to stop it, so I trust he has thought it through and expects a successful outcome. However, there are so many things that could go wrong, I’m hesitant to open a celebratory bottle of champagne just yet.”