George yelled something at him, but all the noise around him became a blur. His emotions were threatening to overtake him, rendering him useless. Boss screamed out in frustration. He squeezed the trigger and pumped the shotgun again and again, unloading into the gathering knot of Variants. He hit a few, dropping them.
George grabbed his leg, getting his attention. He pointed up a path to the right. Boss could see the cave entrance. He took in a deep breath, letting it out between gritted teeth. Shoving George ahead, he whistled for Max. Max growled and barked at the beasts. He whistled again. Max obeyed, and they sprinted for the cave, the howls of the man-hunting monsters chasing them. As they reached the entrance, Boss pulled the red-handled machete from his belt and jammed the blade into the clay bank adjacent to the cave. On they ran, fleeing into the darkening maw.
TWELVE
Jack ran down the wide, muddy track. Once, this track had been a mining road, back in the days when men shifted tonnes of earth and rock to get a few precious ounces of gold. He looked out at the vista. The sun was beginning its climb up from the horizon, spreading its life-giving glow to the world. Jack snorted. A very nearly dead world.
The valley cut through the landscape, intersected by the river gorge. He scanned the tree line ahead, searching for the dull metal of the zip-line tower. The steady thump of boots behind him comforted him, knowing the other Renegades shared his fears. He still thought it was crazy they had been ordered to collect this scientist. Out of all of them, Ben was the only real soldier. The Joneses were privates barely out of boot camp. Dee and himself were still learning. Hoping to help. Now here he was, running from these eternally hungry beasts.
Thinking of Dee, Jack glanced back and looked into her eyes, smiling. She was covered in sweat from their flight through the underground lab. She smiled back before scanning around, searching the trees for the beasts. The howls of the Variants were getting closer as Jack leapt over a creek, its muddy water gushing over the track and down into the valley. A flicker of light alerted him to the metal tower he was searching for. Jack ran the last few metres and looked up, spying the woven steel cables stretching across the bush-choked ravine. A ladder clung to the tower, and five metres above the ground sat a small platform. Hooked up, attached to the tower, were two metal cradles, similar to those rescue choppers use to ferry injured people off cliff faces.
Jack spun around. Raising his rifle, he covered the other Renegades as they jogged up to his position. He caught the pungent smell of sweat mixed with the peaty smells of the forest. It didn’t matter who you were, the fear was the same.
Ben called out to them as he made up the last few metres. “Dee, take the Doc across to the first platform and keep going. Eric, you pull the cradles back and then go with Tony. Jack and I will follow last.”
Jack nodded, and turned to help Dee and Katherine up the first few steps. He gave Dee a squeeze on the arm as she climbed past him. Screeches rang out, and Dee bounded up the ladder, pushing Katherine out ahead. Jack pivoted around, scanning the track and bush, his eyes glancing left and right, waiting to catch sight of those eyes. Eyes that haunted him. Eyes that meant death and loss. He kept his finger on the trigger guard, waiting. He heard the whirring of the zip-line, and risked a look to see Dee racing across with Katherine.
“Multiple targets!” yelled Tony.
Jack looked down the track, searching for a target. A dozen Variants were sprinting up the muddy old road, water, leaves, and soil flicking out behind them in an arc like a motorboat speeding through the water. Jack flicked off his safety and aimed for the centre mass of the nearest charging hound of hell. He hit it in the shoulder, sending it sprawling face-first in the mud. A few Variants behind tripped over it. Jack would’ve laughed at the sight if it wasn’t for the charging pack behind. He went into battle mode, aiming, firing. Just trying to take them down. His ears were ringing at the close proximity of the other Renegades’ gunshots. A couple of the Variants broke away from the pack, sprinting around the sides to flank them.
Jack yelled out a warning. “Flanking! Take them down!”
Eric spun to his side and tried to get a fix, but the Variant was too quick. With a terrifying howl, it leapt the last couple of metres, smashing into Eric. He managed to get his rifle up to protect his neck. Tony screamed and shot it in the chest. The Variant swatted at the bullet as if a wasp was stinging it. Tony ran forward. Pulling out his knife, he stabbed it in the head. The knife stuck fast. The Variant reached up and swatted Tony aside.
Eric used the distraction and kicked the beast off him.
Jack watched horrified as the Variant thudded down next to Tony, who was scrambling up. The Variant grabbed his arm, latched his sucker onto Tony’s bicep, and tore off part of the muscle. Tony screamed in agony and desperately tried to pull away, but the Variant held fast and pulled him closer.
Jack put the last charging Variant down.
“Ben!” he yelled in desperation before turning, trying to get a clear shot.
Ben took a few steps and pivoted on his left foot, raised up his leg and, with a roundhouse kick, smashed the knife deeper into the Variant’s brain, killing it.
A multitude of howls and screeches echoed around the trees.
Ben reached down and yanked Tony to his feet. “On your feet, soldier. We have to go.” He glanced at Eric. “Help your mate. C’mon. Go!”
Eric pulled off his buff from around his neck and wrapped it around Tony’s torn arm. Together, they climbed up the tower and pulled the cradles back across.
The sounds of branches snapping and rocks dislodging reached Jack and Ben. Dozens of Variants were tearing up the track from both directions. Jack glanced up. Eric and Tony were halfway across. Jack looked up at Ben. “I don’t think we have time.”
Ben met his eyes. He gave him a curt nod and clicked in a fresh magazine. “Probably not, Jack. Let’s kill as many of them as possible, though.” His eyes were full of sorrow.
Jack looked back at the advancing horde of death as his radio squawked. “Jack, what are you doing! Run!”
Tears welled up in his eyes. Jack could barely get out what he had to say next. “I’m sorry Dee, I love you. You saved me. I’ll never forget that.”
“Jack! No! There is always a way out. You told me that. Think!”
He sniffed and looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the woman who had saved his life, showed him how to live. He saw her standing on the tower on the opposite side of the valley. The sun was hovering over the horizon, bathing the valley in light. Her hair shone. Jack smiled. He turned, looking at the bush around him. Photographing the memory of Dee and the native forest. If he was going to die, he wanted to remember his two favourite things in life. The sun coming up over the steep hills reminded Jack of Gandalf’s return in the Two Towers. He looked over at Ben, his rifle raised up as he fired at the fast-approaching beasts. Jack saw the nikau palms surrounding him, their frond casings scattered around the trunk. Wait a minute! The frond casings!
Jack whacked Ben on the shoulder and sprinted over to the fronds. “Ben! C’mon!”
He grabbed a frond and flung it out in front of him, over the bank. With a thud, he landed on top of it and skidded down the muddy bank, riding it like some sort of sled. A crash and a grunt to his left, followed by a curse, alerted him to Ben crashing through the undergrowth. The pair bounced and slid faster down the banks of the valley. Jack grabbed the sides of his makeshift sled, trying his best to steer it around trees, his shoulders glancing off a few. Jack flew out off a small bank and splashed down into the creek at the bottom.