Cascade box set 2, p.53
Cascade Box Set 2, page 53
She nodded and he ran into one of the rear rooms which had a missing outside wall. A blast of cold air hit him as he carefully stepped forward trying not to get too close to the drop off to the floor below. He strained his vision best he could into the dark, trying to see any sign of movement amongst the trees and the suburbia beyond. At first all he could see was the branches swaying in the wind, but then he saw it. A distant bluish glow, moving slowly in the house’s direction. As he watched, the generator chugged along on the ground floor.
Soon the glow was lost amongst the trees and he ran down the stairs and peered through the glass of the front door.
“What can you see?” shouted Diaz from the first floor.
He turned around raising his arm. “Sssh!” Then looked back. “Fuck!” He instantly ducked. A giant humanoid figure standing half the height of the nearby trees stood at the end of the drive. The forest around was lit by a ghoulish glow from the thing’s armor.
Michael looked back at the generator. Noise…
Behind him the unmistakable sound of gravel being crushed was accompanied by the blue light starting to be reflected off the walls around him.
Diaz crept down the stairs. “We have to turn it off!” she shouted nodding towards the generator. Michael crawled forward and was about to throw the switch on the machines control panel when he stopped. Instead he scrambled to his feet, grabbed Diaz by the hand and pulled her into the kitchen and out the back of it into the yard behind the house.
Without looking back they could both sense the Hulathen not far from them, but the house blocked its view of their escape. They both ran over the lawn, trying to remember what it looked like in the dark, then crashed into the undergrowth amongst the pines of the forest.
Diaz looked back. “We left all our—” Before she could finish a bright flash came from the house, followed by a deafening explosion and the night sky lit up with orange flames and black smoke.
For a few seconds they both watched as what remained of the home they spent the last few hours in rained down on the gardens behind them.
Michael dragged on Diaz’s arm again. “Come on!”
She turned and they both ran as fast as their limited vision of the trees in front of them would allow.
Soon they were back onto a sidewalk surrounded by homes and the sound of battle. They were at a lower elevation but still above the roofs of most of the structures in the center of the town. The points of light skittered left and right across the horizon, while tracer fire streamed into the night sky not touching them.
“They’re everywhere!” said Diaz. She then kneeled. “Hayes… Harper…”
Michael kneeled with her against a fence. “Take a breath. We can’t think about them right now. We don’t know what happened. We just got to get back to the bunkers.” In the distance he spotted more of those blue glows in amongst flashes of explosions. He put his hand on her shoulder. “You gotta keep your shit together.” He went to stand back up when he had an idea. “Hey, can you sense them?” It was a crazy idea but then they were two people leaning against a fence, hiding from giant aliens.
She looked at him like he was an insane person. He kept the same questioning expression. “I don’t know… maybe.”
“Try.”
She closed her eyes. A few seconds passed. “Yeah, I think I can. There’s one about two hundred yards parallel with us. I think that’s the one that destroyed the house. Then…” She turned slightly towards the center of town. “And maybe two some way off in that direction.” She opened her eyes and pointed south towards the end of the road they were on.
“We run and stay close to the buildings. Keep that alien radar in the head of yours working.”
She nodded.
They both got to their feet and ran from front yard to front yard, stopping at every other junction they came to for Diaz to sense where the Hulathen were. Soon the sounds of battle and individual rifle fire could be heard just a few more streets ahead.
They crouched behind a truck that was in a parking lot. Across the lot in the center of the street, a manhole cover sat reflecting the limited light from the sky above.
“That manhole cover could be another way into the sewers and the bunkers,” said Michael. He raised his radio and clicked the talk button. “Anyone at the CIC hearing this? Come in. Over.”
After a short pause Zach’s voice came back. “Michael, where the hell are you? Are you with the others? Over.”
“It’s just me and Diaz. The Hulathen are everywhere up here. We’re near a sewer entrance, near a parking lot. Over.”
There was a short pause before Zach replied. “Get to that sewer, we’ll send some people out to collect you. Over.”
He looked at Diaz next to him. “You ready to run your ass off?”
She nodded.
They both sprang up from the truck and started running, straining every sinew and muscle their bodies had to propel them faster. Michael’s heart pounded in his ears as the night air brushed past him and he made it to the manhole first, falling to his knees and scratching away at the metal cover. He looked back at Diaz pumping the air with her fists, running as fast as she could. Come on.
His fingers gripped the underside of the metal lid and he pulled upwards almost tearing his nails off. The cover gave way and he tugged it clear. It’s clanging impact with the concrete being lost against the searing sounds around them.
Just as he turned his head to look back from where they came from his vision was overwhelmed by a blinding light. He rubbed his eyes then looked with water running from them. Diaz was frozen in a running posture bathed in a shaft of blue-white light from above. He went to move towards her when she disintegrated in front of his eyes. Particles of her being pulled upwards. Then, as if someone turned off a light she and the light were gone. He immediately looked towards the heavens. A cold dark rectangular shape sat in the clouds. Scrambling backwards he almost fell into the hole. Grabbing the ladder’s hand rails he jumped down to the sewer floor, and started running through the tunnels using his hands to feel the curved walls in the dark.
*****
Zach dropped the mike to the desk then looked back at the hive of activity all around him in the CIC. He had seen this level of panic before, but it was in a much larger space back at the headquarters of the camp. He stepped forward joining the others watching the various feeds of the outside world above their heads, and the lights that were flitting around the sky.
“I’ve lost contact with him,” he said.
Mitchell looked at a nearby officer. “Get some soldiers out to that part of the sewer system.”
The soldier nodded and clicked on his radio to issue the command.
Another soldier wearing a headset rushed forward. “Ma’am we can’t hold the east entrance to the sewer system.”
“Tell them to fall back to the sewers, lets see how well they move around in an eight foot high tunnel.”
The monitors all around were full of streaks of light flying towards towering figures, each one wearing an armor which emanated a strange blue-purple glow.
“Just one of them took out five E.L.F’s and withstood a hail of bullets. Why it stopped attacking and left I do not know,” said Erin between gritted teeth.
Zach looked at Abbey who was standing at his side. She was oddly quiet. He walked past Erin and held her hand. She smiled back at him.
“All we’re doing is slowing them down,” said Fiona.
Bower stepped forward. “What ordnance or explosives you got?” he said to Mitchell.
She looked at the officers next to her. “Quite a selection.”
“Because small arms fire ain’t getting the job done and I need to make them hurt.”
“Sergeant West, take the Captain and a squad and equip them with what he says they need.”
The Sergeant nodded. Zach went to leave with Bower.
Bower’s eyes were full of emotion. “Zach, you’re needed here. Just keep me informed on what’s happening around me.”
Zach nodded.
“I’m going with you,” said Fiona. Bower nodded and together with the Sergeant they left.
A slight whisper of dust fell from the ceiling.
Erin looked at Mitchell. “What do you want us to do?”
“Stay out of the way. You’re probably the reason they are attacking us. But they’re not getting you or any Cascaders.”
Erin briefly put his hand on the generals. “Thank you general.”
“Umm okay. Now please let me do my job.”
Erin stepped back with a smile.
Zach looked at Abbey who gave him the slightest of glances. He then grabbed Erin’s arm, pulling him backwards. “Civilians aren’t needed in the CIC, you should get back to your people and your quarters.”
Erin angrily brushed him off. “Okay I’m leaving!”
Abbey left with him, her hand briefly touching Zach’s as she walked past.
Zach pushed his emotions down deep and walked back to the monitors. In the feeds, soldiers ran for places to hide while intense beams swept near them, scything in half anything the light touched.
“The shells aren’t penetrating whatever armor they have,” said Zach.
Mitchell touched her earpiece. “Zach, we got him.”
“Who? Michael? Diaz?”
She shook her head. “They just found him. They are bringing him in through the north tunnels.”
Zach’s thoughts flickered to Bower and then he pushed them aside. He looked at Mitchell. “I can’t stay here, I’m of more use out there.”
“Captain Bakers platoon is under heavy fire near the west entrance, see what you can do there,” said Mitchell.
He nodded and left.
Nearby as Erin and Abbey were nearing their living quarters, she pulled up.
Erin turned around puzzled. “What?”
“I think I can help. Up top.”
“What do you mean? How can you help? There are no E.L.F’s around here anymore for us to control. You know we have already sent the ones we discovered earlier away.”
“I know that. It’s not about the E.L.F’s. I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.” It was all she could do to stop her quickly formed plan from pouring from her mouth.
Erin looked at her inquisitively. “Okay, if you must. But perhaps Dale—”
She was already walking backwards. “I’ll be fine,” she looked at one of the soldiers who was accompanying them back to the quarters. “I’m sure this guy will protect me.”
The young soldier looked unsure. She pulled on his arm dragging him along the tunnel and around a corner away from Erin’s gaze.
“Ma’am, my duty was just to take you to the—”
“Yeah yeah I know. You can go do your soldier thing, but which way to the surface?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Zach ran along a deserted bunker tunnel, the lights flickering above his head as the sound of distant gunfire mixed with screams. He was told the route to the north sewers were in this direction, but apart from that there was no indication he was going the right way.
He skidded around a corner and two soldiers standing guard at a secure looking door came into view.
“That the north sewer exit?” He shouted along the tunnel to them.
Before they could answer voices could be heard beyond the door, and after a few beeps the door unlocked and swung open. Out of breath soldiers appeared through the gap along with Michael.
Zach ran up to him. He was without his backpack and his fatigues were torn and grimy but apart from that he seemed in one piece. “Are you injured?”
He shook his head.
“Diaz?”
He shook his head again.
Zach sighed. “We’re trying to take the fight to them. You okay to help out?”
Michael looked up from his position leaning against the tunnel wall with eyes that wanted to quit. He then stood more upright. “I’m low on ammo, but yeah I’m good.”
Zach briefly held his shoulder. “We’ll get you kitted out on the way to the west exit.” He then looked at the soldiers nearby. “One of you needs to take us to the armory and then show us the way to the west sewer entrance.”
After scrambling through dimly lit corridors, a visit to one of many rooms full of weapons and ammo they burst through some double doors into a sign of chaos. The metallic smell of blood hung in the air, backed up by the screams of soldiers dying, as they lay on the floor and camp beds. Nurses ran between them while what looked like a single doctor did their best to keep whom they could alive.
Ignoring the scene around them, Zach and Michael ran past the bodies alive and dead and entered another tunnel, this one had soldiers running along it in both directions.
Zach grabbed one of them. “Where’s Captain Baker?”
The soldier who was heading towards the makeshift infirmary, nodded back the way he came. “Follow me.”
Leaving the secure walls of the bunker network and entering the sewer system, the sound of battle intensified and the air-cooled. They scampered along the tunnel avoiding parts which had collapsed and arrived at a metal ladder to the surface. Flashes of light from above momentarily alleviated the darkness around the base of the ladder.
The soldier looked back as he put one foot on it. “Get ready to enter hell.” He then started climbing.
Zach and Michael both made sure their newly acquired helmets were tightly held to their skulls and climbed up after him.
Orange explosions lit the night sky, while streaks of neon red streamed across streets and between buildings dissecting clouds of dust and smoke.
They all crouched down behind what remained of a pickup truck.
The soldier pointed to a building about a hundred yards to their right. “Captain Bakers in that building, they are holding one of them back,” he shouted trying to be heard over the barrage of sound around them.
“You head back down below. We got it from here!” said Zach.
The soldier nodded then ran a few yards and slid back down into the hole.
Zach looked at Michael who seemed to be talking to himself under his breath. “We got to make it to that building, you ready?!”
“Yeah.”
As they scrambled to their feet the sound of masonry being crunched came from ahead of them, and a Hulathen came into view from behind some ruins, walking nonchalantly and firing its particle weapon at the building they were heading towards. Part of the front wall exploded while bullets streamed back the other way.
Zach and Michael dived for cover in one of the many newly formed craters.
“We can’t get to them!” Shouted Zach. He then peered over the edge of the crater. The Hulathen was holding a small car aloft, using it as a shield to deflect the torrent of bullets that were converging on it. He turned to Michael. “We’re going to flank it. Let’s go.”
They scrambled out of the hole and ran across rubble and the street while keeping low. As they grew closer to the alien being, Zach noticed part of the Hulathen’s armor was darker than the other parts.
They hunkered down behind a low wall.
“You see that?” said Zach pointing at the Hulathen’s right thigh.
“See what?”
“I think its armor is damaged at that point.”
“Okay…”
Zach clicked on his radio. “This is general Felton for Captain Baker or any of his unit. Come in, over.”
A few moments of crackling was then interrupted by a gravely voice. “This is Baker, what can I do for you general. Over.”
“I’m about a hundred yards to your south. The alien is between us and you. I need you to turn your fire on the target up to eleven and keep it busy for the next few minutes. Over.”
“Understood. Over.”
Zach glanced at Michael. “When things heat up, we’re going to run up behind it and concentrate our fire on its leg. You got that?”
Michael nodded.
Zach peered over the wall. The Hulathen’s particle weapon was scything chunks of masonry from the building, which was collapsing in front of their eyes. “Get ready!”
A few soldiers ran from the building, shooting at the alien while even more fire converged on it from different dark holes in the three-story structure.
Zach and Michael hopped over the wall and ran hell for leather towards the alien that was doing its best to not take all of the fire that was being aimed at it. When they were within twenty yards Zach drew the pins from two grenades waited a second then threw them right at the feet of the creature. They both then dived to the ground and covered their heads. A deafening explosion soon followed, when they both looked up the Hulathen was kneeling, but still firing its weapon. More of its armor had dimmed.
Michael ran forward firing. “Die!”
“No!” Shouted Zach a few yards behind, but it was too late to stop the aliens spiked tail from whipping around and slamming into Michael throwing him through the air.
Zach raised his rifle and walked forward shooting, targeting the duller parts of the creature’s armor. Its tail swiped through the air again, but Zach ducked and it sailed over his head. He kept firing and its armor began to darken further.
The Hulathen rotated on the spot, raising its weapon directly at Zach who was only yards away. Zach froze waiting for his world to be filled with light and pain, when instead the creature’s face behind its partial visor changed to one of anguish.
The firing from the building had stopped and silence rushed back in, but then was broken by the sound of footsteps. Zach looked to his right. Abbey was walking towards the Hulathen with her hand held out in front of her.
Zach shook his head and waved his hand for her to go, but she kept on walking forward. He looked back at the Hulathen that had not moved from its awkward kneeled position with its raised hand in Zach’s direction. Its face straining, seemingly wanting to do something it could not.
“Get out of here!” shouted Zach as Abbey walked over some rubble and came to his side.
She walked up to the Hulathen, its eyes tracking her every step.
Zach watched speechless. Soldiers flooded out of the ruined building and ran towards them.
