Mwai snapped around so quick that the antique German Luger flew up with a loud POW!
Mwai’s hand wrapped around Anton’s throat. The machete quickly turned and landed mere millimeters from his chest as Aednat held her rifle by Mwai’s head. “And look how quick I take you down boy. I’ll spill your guts all over this ground and leave them for the birds!” Anton nodded his head and smiled serenely with Mwai’s hand around his throat, “make your move then!”
“Will you two just shut the hell up? Every minute you’re fighting, and it needs to just stop! We need to move not stand here and argue about whose dick is bigger! If we keep fighting like this, we’re never going to get anywhere! I know we ALL are very dangerous people where we come from. We need to be smart because we’re not there anymore. I always work alone but when I am deep in shit. I gather my forces and work as a squad…a team. Since I have no idea where the hell I am or what’s going on! I am willing to work as a team…for a while. I hope that we can ALL put aside our differences and get out of here. After that you both can kill each other, ok?”
Seconds passed as Anton and Mwai stared daggers at each other. “Alright Irish but you aren’t in charge! I don’t take orders! I give them and they are followed!” “Whatever Mwai can we just move ahead” asked Aednat. Mwai snorted away his discomfort of the situation and released Anton with snarl. “That pompous Ron Reid said we each had four items. Maybe for
the sake of some trust we should reveal those items. And since Ron is I am assuming sponsoring Hakeem, whatever that means. I believe he should go first. He should also probably explain how he knows Ron Reid.”
“Ha,” shrieked Hakeem as he flicked the collar of his black leather trench coat. “I don’t reveal anything I have or any information I possess! I am the nightmare of a dark shadow.”
“Yeah, well by those bumps on your hands and scars on your face I would understand the need for secrecy. You boys and you’re egos. After this Hakeem you are going to tell me how you know that shit Ron Reid. But for now, if it makes you all feel better. I will go first and hope that you do the same out of mutual respect. I know we are all ready to die but with this supposed creature on the loose I say some form of trust must be formed.”
She pulled forth the black space age weapon she was holding. “I have only every read about this weapon. It is impossible to get even in the RIRA. This here is an AMP Defensive Sniper Rifle the DSR-1 version made in Germany a simple bolt action with a scope that…”
“You talk about it like it is a former lover,” she shrugged at Anton. “Let’s just say it’s a family business.” “Enough talk what else you got?” I watched her turn to Mwai, “well we are ALL
going to reveal Mwai. So, you will just have to wait your turn.”
He snorted, “I never said I was going to show you anything!” Aednat eyed him, but Anton broke the uncomfortable silence. “I agree I’d like to see what everybody is playing with.
I would also like to know everybody…well except you and especially you.” Hakeem turned his head so fast that his dreads swung like wet noodles. “Excuse me whitey, I am the Black Death!”
“Oh, it’s not because of that but with all those bumps over your face. You look infected with some African Voodoo disease or something.” Aednat seemed to sense the tension growing so
she continued. She pulled out from her waist a black pistol until it turned into a portable crossbow. I noticed the added small arrows in her custom camouflage baggy pants. She then unsheathed a large hunter’s knife and then returned it slowly. Reaching around to the small of her back, she removed a small cylinder object with red and black wires. A small timer graced the front, “and the finite de resistance…a nail bomb just like Da used to make.”
Quickly returning it to the small of her back her eyes returned up. “Alright that’s my four items, who’s next?” Everyone stared at each other and when the white boy stepped forward Mwai began to jeer at him. “Oh, somebody wants some action!” I smiled at Mwai sniggering silently, he was entertaining. Removing the gray antique looking machine gun from his shoulder. “This here is something I had only heard stories about from my father during my training. He was in the Hitler Youth, and he said that no gun was more reliable. He tried forever to get one after the war.” “Wait,” exclaimed Mwai, “you’re telling me that your father was in the Hitler Youth?” With a loud snort of offense Anton replied, “he didn’t just serve with them he was Stammfuhrer. The unit leader just below Senior Unit Leader.” Hand moving to his leather belt he removed from his leather holster “a SS issue Astra 900.” “THAT is what you were going to shoot me with!” Mwai looked enraged, “why not shoot me with a BB gun?”
“Anyway, I have my five-inch shank from my cell.” He slipped the shank back into his boot. “And this large silver contraption,” he said revealing what appeared to be an inflated grenade made of iron. “You probably have never heard of this, but we call it a ‘Bouncing Betty’.
A very miniature version of course but same concept.” “Bouncing,” exclaimed Mwai in shock.
“Betty,” exclaimed Hakeem with fleeting lust in his eyes. Aednat laughed, “yeah but its only fatal up to a certain distance. It probably injures more than it kills.” Turning to Aednat he
scowled, “oh yeah well how about I set it off and you can see what happens when you stand too close.”
After a few seconds, he returned his attention to the group. “So, who’s next?” Aednat seemed to be a natural leader as she seemed to take control of the group. The little Irish girl had no idea what danger she was in. If I hadn’t lost my tongue, I would make sure I would be heard.
But since I was stricken with this “gift” of silence, I had become a terrible conversationalist.
“How about you,” she said pointing towards me. “I know you can’t speak but you could at least show us.” I watched her eyes narrow. I had seen that look a thousand times and it was because I in turn had a look of anger. “Look,” she said with a little huff, “this is going to take forever! We are all going to show what we have. I know we all want to kill each other but we have to be smart. We are the ones being played and I don’t get played.”
“Alright, Mwai can you just go next...” Mwai turned back to her and crossed his arms in defiance. “You boys and your egos…and besides the machete.” Placing the machete blade into the sheath in his pants he reached around his back to reveal his AK 74. “Since you asked so nicely.” “This is called an AK.74, no stock obviously.” I wish I could have slapped it in his face as he said it. He talked in such a high demeanor I wish I could smack the smugness right off his face. “I got this Berretta 9 mm. and this cell phone…” “Cell phone,” bellowed Hakeem who reached out for it. Mwai quickly dodged him. “Stay away from me, I don’t want what you have!
Those scars on your face don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen.”
Ignoring Mwai’s disgust he said, “use it and call for help and get us out of here!” “You know you are an idiot Hakeem! It’s an explosive NOT a phone!” “An explosive cell phone, how do you know that?” Mwai just gripped it in his hand as he returned his AK 74 to his back.
He stared at Anton and then everybody else, “white boy I have used them before. Now if you all
stop staring at me, who goes next in this group project of ours? How about Mr. Chinatown, Mr.
Thousand Words over there!” Mwai walked up to me, “since everybody is sharing what they got and you’re such a talker. Why don’t you join in on the fun?” I watched the lumbering brute walk up to me and tower before me. “Now, why don’t you get acquainted with the group?”
I gave a wide smile as I watched a very faint trickle of concern cross his eyes. And with a mockingly wipe of dust from his filthy brown button-down shirt, I backed away slowly. I watched his teeth grind as I slowly opened my suit jacket. Out from my holster, I removed my
“shiny silver dragon” with extended silver silencer on the barrel. I had everyone in the group gathering around me. Mwai’s eyes bulged slight, “THAT…that’s it!” My eyes shot up to him,
“do you have a real gun Mr. Thousand Words? Or did they think you couldn’t carry something so heavy?”
I took a step back as Aednat approached, “easy Mwai! Can you at least tell us your name?” We stared at each other and finally bending over I moved some grass to expose a wet spot in the dirt. With my index finger I traced my name, Kiyoshi. “Kiyoshi, what the hell kind of name is that!” I shot up and knew my short stature wasn’t intimidating but it didn’t matter Mwai was a fool and a loudmouth. His ignorance would be his downfall. I rolled up the sleeves of my suit jacket to reveal my lethal wrist guards. I revealed the small steel rods exposing the small blade on the front of them. I also exposed the small silver tube and tapped it. “And what the hell is that?” Tapping my eyes, I flicked my hands. “Something for the eyes,” Aednat replied at Mwai’s confused look. Mwai sneered as he gave a “THAT, really…that’s what you bring to a fight?” I ignored him and opened the opposite side of my suit jacket to reveal six throwing stars and six throwing daggers.
Mwai scoffed as he walked away, “useless, what a useless piece of…” Mwai turned to Hakeem, “and you…last but not least huh? What’re you packing disease bag? You look like one of those sick men that have to live in the Kenyan garbage dump. Look at you! You got pouches around your neck and what is this…an alligator tooth?” “Get off me,” Hakeem thrashed Mwai away. I watched the rage build in Mwai as he prepared to pounce at Hakeem. However, his attack was halted when something snapped out from underneath Hakeem’s trench coat sleeve. It was long and black and snapped several times at Mwai to reclaim some well needed distance. “What the hell is that?” “You best be careful Mwai. We all have something up our sleeves now.” The snake curled around his arm as it straightened hissing softly. “This here is Mumbato and he doesn’t enjoy people crowding into our space.” Taking his free hand, “if it will shut you all up!” Hakeem opened his coat to reveal a Mac-10. “And what is behind door number two my diseased friend?” Mwai watched the snake as Hakeem shrugged, “that man is a liar! The only thing I have is this gun and Mumbato here.” I watched Mwai begin to grow impatient again, “no, no we all have four items. Why do you have bandannas tied around your hands and what’s that pouch around your…” “Don’t touch it!” Mumbato snapped at Mwai’s outstretching hand. “Well, that makes four I guess, and…” “Aaahhhhooooo!” There came a howl from somewhere close by. I spun around in my spot as I immediately removed my “shiny silver dragon”. Everyone seemed to come too as all the yelling and arguing seemed meaningless. “What the hell is that?” Anton was clicking back the chamber to his ancient machine gun. “We need to move to higher ground. We should move,” Aednat was scanning the area with her eye firmly onto the scope. “It sounded like a wolf,” Aednat’s whisper made me click my hammer back preparing for a fight. “We need to move! Hakeem why don’t you fill us in on your relation to that pompous Ron Reid on the way.”
Initial Attack
[Mwai Haji Njenga]
A roar pierced the silence as even the insects had become silent. The roar seemed to have grown closer as the mysterious creature seemed to be closing in on us. Everybody’s weapons still raised, and nobody looked more scared than Hakeem. His eyes were wide with terror as we all stared into the tall grass, every window, and every crumbling building. Even I could not help but show my nerves, my hands gave a slight twitch on my sliver Berretta. I remember the night so long ago when I wandered from my camp. The night I had come across the black wolf. It had stalked me and killed my son. I felt that terror flooding back over my body. “Give me a circle back-to-back,” Aednat commanded and turned her back towards all of us.
I holstered my Berretta, “Screw you missy I told you I give orders!” I pulled out from my breast pocket my pair of black sunglasses. “Whatever it is, is none of my concern and neither are any of you.” I raised my shades and moved away from the group withdrawing my AK 74. I wanted to get out and return to my homeland. “I’m gunna kill Thorbjorn when I get out of here.” I scanned the urban grassland not sure what I was looking for. Another loud roar came from a short distance, this time growing even closer. “To the right,” Aednat called as she swung her sniper around towards a pile of rubble. “No, it came from over there,” cried Hakeem gripping his Mac-10.
There came a rustling, “Mwai,” cried Aednat as she continued to scan the horizon with military precision. “Stay here with us in the group, we don’t know what’s going on.” A rustling in the bushes made me stop in my tracks. I scanned the grass looking for anything. She was a
woman and what would a woman know about fighting. My finger itched across the trigger as I watched the grass waving lightly in the wind. A branch cracked and then a rock fell loudly, “to the left!” Aednat’s command sent the group to turn the opposite way. I felt eyes on me, hungry eyes like the night I fought with the black wolf. The creature was near, and I could feel its hungry stare on me. I turned and my eyes widened in horror. A large furry creature darted into the tall grass. I only saw it for a split second, but it looked like the size of a grizzly bear only more agile. There was something off about the way it leapt into the grass. I watched the grass part and soon I lost sight of the creature entirely. I waited as I could almost hear its silent footsteps and ragged breathing.
Nothing in all of Africa scared me. I was not called “The Butcher” for no reason. The tension mounted and I remained calm as the sweat beat down my overheated face. I didn’t care about these people. I realized then that the only reason why they weren’t dead was because I needed them. It was true that there was strength in numbers. Aednat was smart maybe she could be the only useful one of this group. The creature seemed to be testing us knowing our boundaries. Soon shots rang out as I turned to see Hakeem’s bullets splatter over a large concrete wall. “I saw something big,” yelled Hakeem. “Where did it go? I didn’t see anything,”
yelled Aednat as she turned in the direction with impressive military precision. “I don’t see shit,” yelled Anton.
The tension continued to mount as the group slowly began to circle around each other.
The courtyard began to feel almost like an ancient gladiator ring. I stood apart from the group and tried to retreat my way back. I held my AK high waiting for something to happen. “That’s it Mwai walk slowly over here by us.” I began to push through some of the grass ignoring Aednat and her orders of, “Don’t go too fast!” “It is a demon…the one from the bones,”
muttered Hakeem. “Will you all shut up,” I ordered and then saw it during my distraction. It erupted from the tall grass like a creature I had never seen, larger than a Grizzly Bear and moved like the black wolf. It struck with accuracy and was gone the moment I had turned to fire.
BOOM… BOOM… BOOM… I knew my aim was fast, but the creature moved with almost unnatural agility. My shots were late as the creature darted over a stone wall. Its dark fur was gone and vanished into the bushes.
“Come back here…ah!” It took me a whole minute to realize the pain that was increasing in my side. I grabbed at the gashes as blood began to stain my shirt. I scanned the grass again,
“what the hell was that thing? I have never seen anything that large move like that!” Anton’s voice revealed his hidden terror. It was hard to say which one trembled more his voice or his hands. Aednat was already on her knees trying to check the damage. The pain was intensifying with every passing second as I continued to clench the gashes in my side. I gritted my teeth in agony as Aednat tried to examine me. “I always knew you liked me girl.”
Aednat scoffed as she examined my gashes. “They’re deep, you’re going to need staples.” “Staples, you dumb bitch it’s only a scratch” I exclaimed. I tried to stand taller, “Mwai you need staples lay down!” “Yeah, well why don’t you break out the medical table over by that crumbled brick wall nurse!” A roar sounded in the distance as I watched Hakeem turn around in fright. “The demon, it’s going to come back!” “And how exactly do you know that you dirty stinking…” Another loud roar deafened my words as Anton came running up.
“Hakeem is right. It’s coming, it’s circling around us!” “Mwai, you need to stand up,” cried Aednat trying to hoist me up onto her shoulders. Through clenched teeth my eyes couldn’t hide my anger. “I am SO sorry you Irish bitch! After I…After I get up you want me to show you my impression of the Riverdance you Irish…” Aednat dropped me in a huff looking murderous at
me. She reached down and picked up my AK 74. “You’re going to need to save that pretty mouth the screaming.” Removing the banana clip she pulled out three bullets. “W-what the hell are you doing?” Removing the top of the bullet she began to pour the gunpowder out in her hand. Anton peering around wildly said, “whatever you’re doing you better get a move on it!”
A rustling could be heard as I turned and saw the grass beginning to part slightly.
Snapping his fingers “Mr. Thousand Words” pointed to his eyes and then to his right. “TO THE
RIGHT,” yelled Anton. Who raised his Astra as Hakeem gripped his Mac-10 tight in his hand.
He began to trace his fingers around the pouches that hung from his neck. His snake had been put back into a leather satchel he was carrying. “Whatever you’re doing Irish you better hurry it up!” I watched the blood running out of my shirt and beginning to pool in the dirt. I clenched my fists tightly, “I am going to kill Thorbjorn. I am going to wipe the UN from my lands the instant I get back. “This wound is nothing,” I tried to tell myself. “It’s merely a scratch, defiantly nothing compared to that wolf bite I got.” I gripped my gashes tighter, “I survived then, and I will survive this now!”
[Kiyoshi Fukudo Sugiura]
I watched the grass as my eyes intermittently traveled down to Aednat. She appeared to be pouring the gunpowder deep into Mwai’s four deep gashes. “Where is it,” cried Hakeem who was answered by Aednat’s “I need a lighter!” The grass lay still as a different sound permeated the air. It was not like anything I had heard before. It was a howl like a wolf only deeper in tone. “OH, now what,” yelled Anton. “I shouldn’t have left South America! I wouldn’t be in this stupid situation!”
“I need a match or something!” Aednat looked panicked as if she hadn’t thought her plan entirely through. “You better keep your eyes open there, China boy!” Anton’s panic seemed to be getting the best of him. “I need a god damn…” Aednat was cut short when a thick clump of bushes parted. I watched a boy maybe 28 or 29 years old walk out from the bushes. His hair was buzzed to the point of bald and wearing a blue prison jumpsuit. He had tattoos around his neck one was a pyramid with the “All Seeing Eye” at the top. The other tattoo simply read, DAWG. “FREEZE,” Anton luckily said what I was unable to say. “Maybe I could be of some help?” The boy smiled with hands raised, “remember me?” He revealed a small box of matches and tossed it at her. She caught it with a surprised, “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” Flinching in pain Mwai grimaced, “w-well, it looks to me like somebody got lost on their way to Grandma’s house.”
The newcomer’s eyes filled with terror, “what the fuck…what the hell is that?” He pointed right behind us, but nobody seemed to be biting. A loud roar seemed to shake the surrounding buildings and the very ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a creature bound over the wall and then a loud POP! Blood spurted out the creature as he flew sideways and slammed into a crumbling stone wall. This is where I finally caught a glimpse of the creature. It had been shot in its broad shoulder. The creature was large as a Grizzly Bear but seemed agile as a wolf. It had a stubby tail with thick ashy black fur that clumped together in tangles of dirt, mud, and blood. It had a barrel head, short snot, large black nose, and a face resembling that of a wolf. It even had whiskers and paws the size of frying pans. However, its paws were covered in a steel plate with matching extended claws.
This was not a creature native to this land or perhaps any land. It seemed man had clearly taken over this creature. Its legs were as thick as a tree trunk as it recovered quickly. It
rose onto its hind legs and stood at seven feet tall. Its Canines were as thick as a lion’s but its Molars behind them were lined like a wolf. They also appeared to be plated in a silver metal, a true steel jaw. The strangest item the creature had was what appeared to be a wardrobe choice taken from that mad Russian. It appeared to be a computerized eye patch and in the center was a glass red eye. I stared at it as I felt an honest fear pass through me. “DEMON,” yelled Hakeem as his Mac-10 began to light up like fireworks. The creature leapt over the wall and disappeared into the grass. I watched the grass part as I let off the few remaining rounds left in my magazine.
[Mwai]
“What the hell, what the hell, what the hell was that?” Anton was shaking as his Astra pistol never lowered. “Alright Mwai, this is going to hurt…a lot!” I groaned, “just do it already you potato eating, sheep fucking…OWWW!” I screamed as the pain nearly tore me apart. That beast’s attack was nothing compared to this. Aednat had lit the gunpowder of the bullet which she had lined in each gash mark. The match had barely touched the powder when it erupted into a large fireball. The wounds were singed and the smell of burnt flesh hit my nostrils.
“FUCK…you’re killing me woman!” Aednat stood up, “quit crying you baby! I cauterized the wound. It will hold…for now. I think we should go now that we can move.” Her pale hand outstretched towards me, “get up you big baby.” “I’m not a baby,” I growled giving her a murderous stare. After several seconds I took her outstretched hand, and she helped steady me on my feet. “I don’t need your help,” I snapped as I threw her hand away. “Yeah, no need to thank me either! You see in our squads in the RIRA. We treat our soldiers like brothers. You see in the field or in battle family is all you got.” She bent down and picked up my AK. I snatched it out of her hand with a grumbled, “thanks…bitch.”
I turned to watch more people emerge from the tall grass as guns were all pointed towards each other. It was similar to one of those old western standoffs and every gun was pointed at everybody. My gun was raised at a blonde Russian woman, who in turn was pointing her tiny pistol at me. It took a while before somebody spoke. It was the last person to emerge from the grass. He had on a Safari hat and had a thick handlebar mustache with a large hunting knife sheathed into his pants.
He broke the silence first, “have you guys seen a dog running around?” “That…that is, was your…dog,” cried Anton as another dark-skinned man came forward clenching a larger AK.
“Yeah, well you can go play catch with it then and let the big boys figure things out.” The newcomer crossed his arms, “name’s Chris and I guess you must be the other Candidates huh?
You know I had only ever read about that kind of field medicine Irish. I didn’t know it could actually be done, especially so well…and by I’m assuming an IRA member like yourself?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don’t know who you people are or what you mean by Candidates! You better answer quick or else we’re all gunna gun each other down like a good old-fashioned Mexican standoff!” I watched Aednat aim her half-raised sniper directly at the white boy in his blue corrections outfit. A howl came from the distance. The man dressed like Crocodile Dundee shouldered his rifle with an exasperated huff. The rifle looked to belong to a Special Forces military operative. He began to walk closer as all the guns raised to him threateningly. “Look, I don’t care what you all do. If you all wanna die here that’s fine. I am going for my dog. You can either follow or stay here and catch up. I don’t give a shit! Now let me by please, let me by, there you go boy!”
And with that final note he walked towards the break in the wall and headed into the grassland towards the creature. Everyone stared at each other as the tension mounted, “I guess
we can catch up huh?” Aednat glared at Chris and then gave a soft, “alright everybody lower your weapons on three.” “Bitch you must be crazy!” I held my empty gun with one hand as my back was propped against a crumbling wall. My finger slipped over the trigger as my hand was drenched with blood shaking violently. I fumbled trying to stick another clip into my AK. The blonde’s eyes took aim at my head as she puckered her lips seductively, a kiss of death sort of speak. Mr. Thousand Words lowered his weapon and hopped off the wall. “W-where are you going popcorn shrimp?”
The bald-headed black guy turned to me his AK fixed to Kiyoshi’s gut. Kiyoshi pocketed his pistol and straightened his white suit coat. I watched him remove from his right breast pocket a pair of black shades and without a second glance he turned following the poacher. The grass parted leaving the rest of us to stare at each other. “Screw this I need to reload anyway.” I removed myself from the wall and began to follow without a glance back.
My bloody hands still fumbling with the clip in my hand. The rest of the group fell like dominos and soon introductions were being made. “Again, name’s Chris but everybody just calls me
‘The Mind’.” “Nikki, not Nicole, not NI, not Nik, just Nikki,” I turned visibly not interested.
The truth was that if I didn’t get some help and soon. I wouldn’t be around much longer to reclaim my kingdom. Blood had built my kingdom and blood would need to be shed to reclaim it. How much more would I have to give?
[Jacob]
I trampled through the woods as the conversation continued behind my back. “What the hell do you mean a creature? What kind of creature?” Chris kept asking questions, questions, always asking questions. I wanted to gut him and just hang him like a dead animal. I traced the
grass as I scanned the sun now rising higher in the sky. It was coming on too eleven o clock. I ran my hand over my face trying to remember the last time that I had seen Lefu. “Was it the Limo?” I was distracted by Mwai grunting in pain behind, “I…don’t know...white boy! It was a creature like an ugly ass…I don’t know, bear?” I turn to Mwai, “will you shut up? Will you ALL just shut the hell up?” Chris gave a soft “well then what do you think the creature was?
After all we don’t have previous experience with it like some people.” I stared at him, “I told you that Lord Otto is a liar! What don’t you understand about that boy? Now understand this, I have hunted the biggest game on the planet…and that…THAT was no creature that I have ever seen. If you all aren’t scared…you’re fools. Now be quiet or next time I’ll let that thing have its way with you.” I turned to Mwai who stared at me clenching his AK. He tried to look tough but when the creature sliced him like ground meat, he sang a different tune.
They all stared at me as I returned to the brush. We walked down a cracking street, and I realized that I was coming towards a city center. There were large abandoned apartment buildings and cars left to rot in the sun. I moved softly over the street my gun raised slightly. I had to admit out of all the guns that I have ever used in an assignment. This was the one I knew I’d love the most. It was lightweight and had a surprisingly light recoil. I dropped to my knees as I ran my hand over some animal prints in the dirt. I was still thinking of the shot that saved Mwai. “Damn Parkinson’s…must be getting worse.” I shook my head thinking about how I’d hit the shoulder. “I hit the frigging shoulder,” my mind yelled. I traced my finger over the mysterious paw print. I rose from my spot and began to walk towards the window of a first-floor apartment. Posters hung in strange writing. “Russian,” I whispered walking over and seeing a small poster of Lenin. I came out and examined over the building. I noticed deep claw marks had been scratched into the walls of the apartment complex.
“So, what’re you thinking?” I lowered my head and saw that the white boy Chris was asking more questions. “I have a feeling that you know just as much as I do. Maybe I daresay even more.” Chris moved away from the group, “I don’t know that is why I am asking you?” I began to breathe hard feeling the sun beating down on me. I saw the group and it looked as if they were all waiting for my answer. “I don’t know where we are per say, if I had to guess I would say Europe. After all this is not Africa in any way. These tracks are from that creature, but I don’t see any tracks from my Lefu. I have also noticed that there are boot prints all over…old ones. Although, there is something else that is strange.” I motioned towards a print in some hardened mud. “It’s a bare foot,” I nodded at Chris who seemed to be the only one that really seemed interested in what I was saying. “It’s strange, why would somebody want to travel barefoot around this area?” “This place is weird Jacob, footprints everywhere but nobody seems to be home. Plus, there are cameras everywhere. I have a strange feeling that what that guy was saying is true. I think that they are watching us or maybe I’m just crazy.” I groaned, “You’re not crazy Chris. We are being watched Lord Otto said so on that video thing.”
Chris grabbed my arm before I could walk away. I stared down at it and then up at him,
“you said that he was lying about your previous experience with that creature, right? So, how do you know that the people on the video were telling the truth? How can you tell. Shit, the cameras could be broken too?” I smiled, “because Lord Otto is not a fool. Arrogant, yes…pompous, yes…a liar, yes…but a liar about making money. No…besides I am poacher it’s my job to know. Now, I suggest you all stay close.”
First Attack
[ THE GETAWAY]
“Attention members, attention, this is the Speaker for your 2005 hunt. I am confirming the completion of Creature X’s Initial attack. I am excited to report that the First Elite Sanctioned Attack will commence in five minutes. I repeat Creature X will commence its FESA in five minutes. All wagers and bets must be concluded at this time thank you.” The banquet hall was large and filled with tables of every different size and variety including games consisting of poker, roulette, and craps. Large slot machines even lined the opposite walls.
People filled the large area, and many were standing by the bar drinking expensive cognac and smoking fine cigars. Everyone stared at the loudspeakers and began to politely clap when the Speaker finished. Televisions began to change as stats and odds began to flash over them. The largest television was approximately 90 inches hanging directly over the large bar. The Dead Watchers all turned their attention to the monitors waiting in anticipation for Creature X’s attack.
[Nikki]
“Vat o vou ean vou don’t know vat reature iz?” I felt my voice tremble slightly. Despite the sun high in the sky, I felt slightly chilly standing in black booty shorts with a matching tank top. This irritating gun holster off my shoulder annoyed me. I wondered how it was that I walked around with such a clunky pack all the time. “I mean Nikki that I have hunted on almost every continent, and I have never seen an animal like that!’ “Vat o vou mean, it ooked ike a ber?” Raska moved forward, “yeah it could have been a bear from another part of the world?”
Jacob shook his head, “a bear is not THAT agile, and I have never known an animal to…” “Et
es like a large volf, a verevolf o zum cind of verebear?” Jacob shook his head at me in utter confusion. “What in God’s name are you talking about? Werewolves don’t exist, and wolves never get that big. AND I’ve never heard of a werebear ever before!” “SO, what is it, if it’s not a werewolf or werebear?” I saw Aednat almost struggling to try and figure out everything.
“Werewolves and werebears don’t exist Irish!” Aednat tightened her black scarf around her neck, “then you tell me what it is?” Jacob ran his hand over his handlebar mustache in evident frustration. “I-I really don’t know. And a werebear just sounds like…nonsense!”
“Aaahh!” I turned quickly towards the loud scream and saw a sight that I had not expected to see. Yakov had tried to make an escape. I had nearly forgotten about the old man and so did the rest of the group. He was already ten yards away with both his bow and old rifle slung across his back. He was clenching his leg as he screamed in agony, “help comrades…help please!” “Well, looky, looky, Yakov here doesn’t like spending time with us?” Chris moved forward as he made his way towards Yakov. Soon the whole group was making their way towards him. I grabbed Jacob’s arm, “are vou zure vou don’t know de reature?” Jacob shouldered his rifle, “I’m sorry but as I keep repeating. I really don’t despite what other people say.” “Zo, ow o we cill et?” “I assume just like any other animal my dear, just like any other animal.” Jacob clapped me on the shoulder as he walked towards Yakov. “Well, I don’t believe my eyes,” Chris walked with such a superior smugness seemingly ignoring the rest of us.
It was in that moment I began to notice how attractive he was. His nearly shaved head and face looked too innocent to be put into jail. I watched him circle the struggling old man.
“Quit et vou ensolent little zhit and help me oud!” Chris smiled at the rest of the group, “I don’t know, trying to escape huh? I’m guessing you like to work alone, huh? Clearly you don’t need help!” “Get me oud of here or I’ll zlice your neck open like a…” Chris wagged his finger,
“judging by that foot trap you’re in. It looks like anyway you get yourself out will diminish any hope of you actually backing up your threat.” I watched Yakov turn to me, “zlut, come over here and get me oud!” I took several steps back in shock, “zlut…me? Vou ried vo ape me, I ope vou rot der?” Yakov struggled as he gripped at his leg tighter trying to pull it out. I moved forward and saw that the wounds were a couple inches deep. Four sharp sticks were jutting from four points. Yakov’s ankle was trapped between them all. The points deeply embedded in his skin. I was surprised to see the Irish girl make her way forward. “I’ll cut you out…as long as you don’t try to run away again. Don’t you realize that working in a group is better? You know safety in numbers just in case that creature decides to come back.” I saw Mwai still clenching his side and I trembled slightly at the sight of his blood.
“Hey, check this out!” I turned around and saw that loud mouthed Raska standing yards away staring at a particular brown patch of tall grass. I made my way over there as Raska held up a large black and muddy machine gun. “Holy shit an M16,” hands drying with blood Mwai made his way towards Raska. “Toss that here for a second!” Raska tossed the black instrument of death as the drying blood sprinkled from Mwai’s raised hand. He caught it with a clatter and clicked back the chamber before removing the magazine. “It’s empty…broken too…American issued.” I watched Raska bend down and begin to examine a hole about the size of a basketball in the ground. “There are shell casings all over,” Anton was bending over examining an empty cartridge shell. “They’re all the same caliber. It looks like they came from the same weapon.”
He stared around the tall grass, “whoever was here was firing all around blindly.” “Look a red flag,” I watched Raska pick up a small red flag. It was twisted and mangled almost behind recognition. He twirled it in his hand and then returned to the ground. “This is an internal explosion not external.”
I walked closer and examined the hole myself, “I ee several oder rad flags…vat oes dat ean?” Raska looked up at me, “they could be used to indicate a trap. To me this hole looks like a land mine…not a grenade. Also, look around at the scene dried blood and the grass is scorched…defiantly a land mine.” I stared around at our surroundings, “ow long go id dis all happen?” Shaking his head he threw the flag, “I don’t know too long to tell.”
“Give or take a year,” Jacob remarked walking behind us. Raska’s eyes bugged out slightly as he raised himself off the ground. “How do you know that?” Jacob scanned the area,
“there are dried footprints and blood all over the area.” “Is somebody going to help me?”
Yakov was still clenching his leg trying to break the sticks locking his ankle in place. “I guess we are all going to have to watch where we are stepping from now on. Booby traps, as if we didn’t have enough to worry about.” Aednat’s words faded as she made her way towards Yakov and began to help him. She removed a hunting knife and began to saw the sticks with the serrated edge.
Jacob began to make his way from the group and move towards a large building that could have passed for a hotel. “Group check this out,” Chris had also moved away from us and was pointing to a large mural. I walked over to him getting closer to the faded brick painting.
“Das es Lenin,” Chris smiled at me “yeah, I guess so! Well, I guess that answers where we are.
I just don’t know what it says.” “Et zay, vork for da Moterland and da Moterland vill vork for vou,” Chris clapped me on the shoulder, “thanks girl since you helped me, I will return the favor…” He leaned in closer to me “if I were you, I would watch out for that ancient ass Yakov.
He has been doing nothing but staring at you…and I am not talking about a horny high school boy kind of staring.” He clapped me on the shoulder again, “we should return to the group.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Chris’s words were true. Yakov seemed unable to
remove his eyes from my spandex booty shorts. I tried to lower them to cover my cheeks, but the shorts seemed unable to go down that far.
Chris moved back towards the group. “Well, I think that I found out where we are.” The rest of the group began to gather back around him as I moved back myself. I watched the sweat slowly drip down Chris’s head. He was very attractive and seemingly a clever man. Who would be the more likely one to get me out of here? The hunter was an obvious choice, but his face and scars were a turn off. Chris had his youth, but could intelligence beat brawn? If I wanted to live, I should go after the hunter. He wouldn’t be easy to manipulate. Although, he would provide the best ticket out of here. “I think that we are in Pripyat, Ukraine.” “Ukraine,”
muttered Aednat pausing from her rescuing of Yakov. “Which means that Chernobyl must be nearby.” “What the hell are you babbling white boy?” “I mean Raska the Chernobyl disaster which means this whole place is radioactive! That would explain why this city and area is deserted?”
“AAARRHHHHOOOOO,” there came a roar louder than any other that I had ever heard.
“It’s back, holy shit its back!” Anton was already pulling out his machine gun as everybody else seemed to mimic him. “Does anybody have a visual?” Aednat asked returning to her attempt to free Yakov of the trap. Breathing heavily, she began to saw faster trying to release him. “I think I saw something,” the quiet dreaded man was pointing towards the opposite building along the way. Even I was pulling out my pistol, my mind began to trace over every item that I had. Why couldn’t I have gotten a big gun? Everyone seemed to have some tool of destruction and here I was stuck with a pistol that couldn’t scare a dog. “Almost there Yakov,” a roar came again and this time it rattled loose debris from the buildings. Jacob in the meantime was scanning the ground. He was running his hands over the dirt and smelling bits of it…even tasting it.
SNAP… one of the sticks had finally snapped and Yakov pulled out his foot. It was soaked with blood and his ankle showed four deep puncture wounds. He tried to walk but limped slightly as he tried to put his weight on it. Aednat let Yakov wrap his arm around her shoulders. “Well thank you missy, I hope to one day…” Aednat grunted under Yakov’s weight.
“Just can it old man! We are brothers in this fight and in the RIRA, we look after the men that look after us.”
The silence of the area was interrupted not by a roar or howl but by a soft whistling sound. It only took a second before a loud THUD penetrated my ears. “FUCK,” Chris had been struck in the back by a basketball size piece of concrete. He tumbled to the ground trying to clench his back in pain as a howl shook my very skin. “I got a visual on the creature. It’s there on the rooftop!” I turned to where Jacob was pointing and sure enough there standing on its hind legs was the creature that we had been told about. The creature that had attacked before. Its large arms were outstretched menacingly. Its steel claw pads caught the reflection of the sun as its face became more distinct. One beady black eye and the other looking like a red eye patch made of something mechanical. It swiped its steel claws again at the roof sending large bits of concrete to rain down upon us like artillery fire. “I got it in sight!” BAM… Jacob’s gun had cracked the air once…twice… and even a third time. The dark-haired creature took every shot in the chest but roared louder as if a bee had merely stung him. It slowly lowered onto its four legs and disappeared.
“It’s coming! We need to get out of here!” Anton’s panicked screams seemed to speak the truth. The creature rattled through the deserted building. Anton pointed to the building behind us “get into the hotel! We can make a stand in there!” Jacob’s eye was fixed on his scope as Aednat began to drag Yakov towards the hotel. Everyone’s gun was raised even the
silent Chinese man held his silver pistol tight as everyone quickly made their way towards the hotel.
“I am not retreating! LRA doesn’t retreat from a battle!” I ran past Raska and made my way to the hotel with the rest of the group. I knew that with the weapons I possessed. I would not be able to stop the creature from turning me into gazpacho. Mwai still raising his AK passed Raska saying, “Very good, let me know how that turns out for you!” The creature seemed to be gaining speed as the whole building seemed to shake. The creature was making his way down towards the ground floor. We all were sprinting as fast as we could. “YOU’RE ALL
COWARDS!” I watched Raska grab Mwai’s arm, “you should be ashamed of yourself!” I watched Mwai click his chamber back with a little wince of pain. “The only difference between running and surviving or staying and dying is that if you run you will live. Live and you can fight again another day.” Raska’s grip released from Mwai as he followed the group into the hotel. I stopped and watched Raska turn towards the door in front of the other building. He clicked his AK chamber back and prepared for a fight.
It seemed the world had grown calm and out of the darkness of the building came the stomping of the large creature. I heard the group behind me running into the abandoned hotel.
“Let’s go up the stairs, we can cause a choke point!” Anton seemed unable to hide the terror in his voice, but his plan did seem to be accepted by everyone. Feet began to scurry up the stairs as I continued to watch Raska standing alone in the field. Two large paws grabbed the edges of the door and slowly the beast’s head emerged. Its snout sniffed the air almost tasting Raska as thick mucus like drool ran from its lips. Raska appeared as nothing more than a meal to the creature.
It opened its mouth wide to expose its silver-plated teeth. Its teeth extended to the back of its
mouth as I saw Raska now beginning to back up slowly. It seemed that Raska’s mouth had finally met its match.
The creature emerged through the doorway but stopped. Its large figure was too big to fit through the narrow doorway. Raska seemed to sense the momentary weakness and began to retreat faster. Raska sprayed his AK at the creature as it slammed its body into the door frame. I watched cracks beginning to form in the concrete as it tried to rip the entire door frame out from the building. Raska’s shots covered the cracking wall and even hit the creature’s paws which ricochet off the metal. I waved my hand at Raska, “herry, herry!” I don’t know why I was trying to help him. All my life it seemed I had been working alone. Maybe this time I needed help, maybe we all needed help? I was completely out of my element here. If I were to survive, I would need the help of these people…all of them. That Irish girl Aednat had been right. We had to all work together if we were going to make it out of this alive. Raska ran up to me and pushed me into the hotel, “run girl, run!” I began to go up the stairs and realized our group had already made it up to the third floor.
One large hallway stretched the floor as doors lined every side running the entire length.
“We can’t go up anymore,” in the distance it sounded as if thunder had cracked the sky. Raska made his way into one of the rooms and gazed out the window. I saw his panicked body lean over to overlook the courtyard between the buildings. I followed and saw his speechlessness.
“Da reature es gone!” Jacob followed as he stared at what I was pointing at. “My god the creature tore off the entire door frame!”
Yakov had made his way to a moldy old bed and crumbled up on it. He winched in pain as he gripped his bloody ankle. Something underneath us began to vibrate the entire floor, “it’s
in the building…come with me!” Anton grabbed the Chinese man and they both focused their attention on the staircase. Anton motioned down the stairs, “Kiyoshi, right…when it comes up, we’ll let em’ have it, ok?” I noticed how Kiyoshi straightened his suit and made an arrogant notion. I knew immediately what he meant. He might be unable to speak, but he was not stupid.
They both stood there waiting as Hakeem made his way into the opposite room now. I watched as something black uncurled from under his trench coat sleeve. I jumped back when I realized it was a snake. It was long and curled several times around his arm. “We need to take position when it attacks!” Aednat removed herself from the room as everyone seemed like they were in a panic. We all took defensive positions covering every entrance into the hallway. Hakeem took a position by the window as his eyes filled with upmost terror. He was now clenching the pouches around his neck as the snake curled eerily over his hand.
The moment seemed tense as everybody peered in every direction. I had my back to the wall as a worn picture of an aged family sat smiling down at me. There came a shudder, and I knew that my reputation would have to live up to its expectations. I had to become more. I began to understand the strength that I needed to have if I wanted to survive. The strength that came from inside my very blood. I snapped back the chamber to my pistol. I was finally beginning to understand what was happening. However, it still seemed like the bigger picture was foggier than ever. I saw a small camera shining down from the far corner. I tapped the nearest person to me. It was the attractive Chris, and I watched fear spread across his youthful face. I could almost taste it on him. His eyes flickered to me as I pointed to the camera.
“Sumbody es vatching uz.” Chris whispered with a tremble, “who…whoever it is they have been watching since the moment I woke up. I’ve seen at least…” He wiped his hand over his sweating face, “uhh, about seventeen so far, I think?”
I watched everybody and their reactions to this moment. That creature was a beast that I had never seen but even if I died, I hoped the creature would never live. I smiled knowing the inner secret of my curse and my lasting legacy. It was a lasting plague that I left to all those unknowing victims that I should ever seduce or entice with my beauty. However, would my lasting legacy have any real effect on the creature? The grim thought of my life had never played across me before, but I must now accept my own mortality. I knew this “Hunt” would be played until we were all dead. We were the people that could be thrown away. The people that could be easily forgotten, never to be missed.
I saw it first and it came with a flicker of his face. Kiyoshi’s eyes left the stairwell as they began to trace the ceiling as if he heard something. It was like he had heard a shadow. He was like a dog as his eyes traced the ceiling and heard only the lightest of steps. His lips seemed to snarl in almost a growl as his pistol began to trace towards Hakeem silhouetted in the sunlit window.
A swish of a steel claw plate as something reached from the very next floor and snatched the back of Hakeem’s coat with it. Hakeem flew backwards falling three stories. Glass seemed to rain with him as the scene turned into a firework’s display similar to the American Fourth of July. I had seen one only see it once, “oh kak krasivo…” As my chamber clicked empty already, “C'est la vie.” I dropped the empty magazine and reached into my fanny pack. I counted fourteen magazines, fifteen if you counted the one leaving my pistol. I reached down and snapped another magazine in. The roar was deafening as the dust fell from the ceiling above us. I had to wipe my eyes clean as the creature ran above us. I noticed that Raska’s shooting was sporadic as he shot with a loud, “SHOW YOURSELF BEAST! SHOW YOURSELF I GOT
PLENTY FOR YOU!” The firing stopped when the rumbling stopped.
Silence filled the room again as I rubbed my ears in pain. The world had become a grave to me. My head seemed buried under five feet of dirt as panicked voices filled the room. I saw Aednat move towards the window and gaze down at the courtyard. “Hakeem landed in a tree.
He’s legs are all messed up!” “Forget him, I say let’s back up and try to trap him with firepower.
It’s the only way!” “Who the HELL do you think you are giving me orders you racist shit? I say we go up there and corner this motherfucker like the animal it is!” Raska dropped a banana clip and began to replace it with a new one. His teeth gritted together inches from Anton’s face.
Pushing them apart Jacob yelled, “You both are fools! We must stay here and stand our ground!
The beast knows we have weapons now! It is unlikely to return, it’s like a lion!” Aednat only seemed to be making matters worse when she stepped in. “In a crisis you need to look out for your brothers-in-arms, we gotta go down and get Hakeem! He has an extra trigger finger. We can use all the help we can get against that thing!”
Pushing between them all Raska was now waiving his gun wildly, “it doesn’t matter….it doesn’t matter! I am the only one who has commanded anything militarily.” “OH yeah, I am Anton Koppe COMMANDER of the Fourth Reich! Leader of the Waffen-SS Werewolf! Who the fuck are you Raska? You…you are a commander…with your little bracelets and necklaces…a cross with a pacifier? You’re the commander of CHILDREN! LRA, you’re a disgrace! Nobody falls under the LRA, but EVERYONE falls under the SIEG HELL! Your battle tactics are as worthless as your pathetic skin color is!”
Mwai and Raska charged at Anton as Mwai seemed to get the only punch in on time.
Mwai’s fist had collided with Anton’s forehead. His attention had been distracted by the large creature silhouetted uncomfortably in the hallway. Its fur was thick, and it permeated the air with the smell of blood. Even in the shade the metal from its claw plates and teeth shone
brightly. The creature’s heaving body curled and uncurled its real claws, which was eerily followed by the whirring of its mechanical red eye. I raised my pistol but knew it was useless against such a large creature. I quickly ducked deeper into the room that Hakeem fell through leaving Chris too take the eventual brunt of the beast’s attack. Gunshots rang out as the hallway lit up like a thunderstorm back in the motherland.
Thrown from the creature’s massive arm, Chris tumbled into a room with a loud CRASH!
The creature began to charge towards Anton sensing his momentary weakness. Everyone seemed to dive out of the way as I watched Anton sprinting down the hallway almost drunkenly.
His machine gun firing wildly behind him as he screamed in terror as death was inches away.
The creature was mere inches from licking his gun until something slammed into the creature.
The creature crashed against the wall as it turned swiping its claws wildly at its suppressor, Jacob. Its claws scraped across the wall carving huge chunks from it. I watched everyone gather themselves as I raised my pistol to help. The creature’s claw came crashing down but was blocked by Jacob’s other rifle.
“AAAARGHHH…” the creature roared angrily when Jacob had stuck the largest knife I had ever seen in the creature’s side. “That’s why it’s a Beast Killer you shit!” The rifle snapped in half as the creature slashed Jacob’s arm before pinning him against the wall with its other paw.
Jacob’s knife released from the creature’s side with a rain of blood. Only the quickest of eyes could have spotted the look that Jacob gave the creature snarling into its face. It was the look of realization, a fleeting glimpse of understanding. I saw that I was not the only one to notice this look. Chris was trying to steady his large pistol as he watched me firing mine wildly. It was in that moment that we both knew. Jacob was a liar, and he knew exactly what this creature was.
The “Beast Killer” seemed to be the width of a small meat cleaver as the blood ran down the thick blade. The creature’s steel jaws were mere inches from Jacob’s already heavily scared face. I fired my pistol wildly as others joined. The creature took the shots as it roared in our direction clearly upset from being denied a dinner. The creature slashed its metal claws cutting the wall completely through to the next room. The debris from the wall flew like confetti as Anton yelled, “MY EYES, I CAN’T SEE!” “I don’t have a shot, where is it!” Aednat was panicked and even I had trouble finding a magazine. The dust was thick in the congested hallway. I felt something push past me as I tumbled deeper into the room. I only caught a brief glimpse of a large man wearing a dirty Safari hat pass before I heard a loud BOOM… BOOM… BOOM! Jacob had managed to escape and was firing wildly as the larger creature seemed to chase him.
The creature slapped Mwai out of the way with the back of its paw. Mwai slammed against the wall with a loud THUD! His gun was firing wildly into the sky like rockets into the air. The creature inched closer towards Jacob who apparently had tripped over something.
Yakov lunged forward and smashed his empty rifle across the creature’s face. It shattered in half as the creature threw Yakov into the other room. Its attention returned to Jacob. He was crawling backwards his right hand clenching his so called “Beast Killer”. His rifle had fallen several feet in front of him. The magazine dropped from my pistol as I reached into my fanny pack to retrieve another one.
It was at the moment I thought about running. The beast was taking every bullet we threw at it and didn’t bother to turn its attention towards us. His furry back had become a shredded mess similar to ground beef. I hopped over an unconscious Kiyoshi and made my way towards the stairs. There were several inches between the wall and the creature. It was possible
for me to squeeze by. I made the movement but just as I made it the creature roared loudly. A small creature had appeared from nowhere and lunged at its face. The creature howled in pain as it rose higher on its hind legs crashing its back against the wall. It stumbled backwards as Jacob’s rescuer dropped onto all fours. “LEFU,” cried Jacob as he began to back down the hallway even more. He grabbed his rifle trying to reload it as bullets began to fumble from his shaky hands.
The dog was small no bigger than a golden retriever. It had patches of black, white, brown, and orange fur. It snarled up at the large beast as Jacob desperately tried to recover. I walked forward firing every shot I could into the creatures already destroyed back. I couldn’t take my eyes off the massive chunks of flesh and fur still clinging to the creature. I had let my guard down and paid for it. The creature quickly turned with a swinging back hand. The back plate of its steel paw collided against me. I toppled to the floor as the creature now towered over me. I stared up as death seemed certain. I felt a tear escape my eye. I didn’t think it would end like this.
I felt the first magazine I grab for fumble from my hands. The creature raised its steel paws preparing to strike. BOOM…BOOM…BOOM… I saw my savior was the Irish girl, Aednat.
She was at the very end of the hallway. Lying on the ground she fired at a distance, but her precision was precise. The creature’s skin popped like overgrown pimples. Its claw came crashing down towards me as another figure leapt at the creature. Despite his ancient appearance, Yakov had jumped onto the creature’s back with ease. Wielding his knuckle knife, he began landing blow after blow digging deep into the creature’s skull. The creature thrashed and threw him off like shaking a pest. Yakov crashed against the wall. The creature’s attention was now drawn to Yakov as Aednat continued to strike the creature with bullet after bullet.
Reaching into my fanny pack, I found a magazine. It was much heavier than the other magazines that I had used. The magazine wasn’t black in color. The bullets were thicker, and the magazine was a shade brighter than neon red. It almost fell from my hand due to the weight.
I slid the magazine in as the bullets weighed my pistol down slightly. The creature tried to take a bite out of Yakov as it squeezed his body into the wall. Yakov was fighting with the creature’s massive jaws as it tried to finish him off in one fatal snap. I watched Yakov reach towards the silver grenade dangling on his belt loop.
His body was being squeezed in the creature’s paws as his hand desperately tried to wrap around the grenade. The beast’s teeth were mere centimeters from snapping Yakov’s head off.
His thumb found the pin and he pulled it before shoving the grenade down the beast’s throat.
“Here’s something to remember me by beasty!” Yakov held the beast’s mouth shut as tight as he could. Yellowish smoke wafted out the beast’s snout and lips. The beast dropped Yakov to the floor as it crashed against the walls howling with pain. It flayed its bullet ridden body wildly as it stumbled into the largest of the rooms. I raised the pistol with the heavier magazine. It took a second for me to aim the shot right.
BOOM… it took one shot for me to realize why these bullets were different from the others. I watched the beast’s arm seemed to explode slightly. It was like a shotgun blast at point blank. The creature took several more shots in the chest as Anton fired his relic like machine gun wildly making sure to spray the entire creature with every bullet he had. Everyone who was standing was firing as fast as they could. My shots exploded inside the creature as he took two, three, and the fourth popped it in the neck. The creature tumbled out the glass window just as Hakeem had done. The creature fell three stories before it dropped point blank on the grass below. I scurried as fast as I could just to see the creature bleeding profusely in a crumpled heap.
It began limping away towards the forest to the east of us. Hakeem was at least ten yards from it.
He scrambled on the ground with a large stick piercing deep into his leg. He removed his Mac-10 and began to fire at the retreating creature, “stay away demon…stay away!”
The creature took several more hits still wobbling away and disappearing down the dirt road towards the large wooded area. Aednat pushed past me with Jacob trailing behind her.
They laid down their rifles on the ledge and shot at the creature. Jacob seemed to lose sight first before he pulled his rifle up with a sigh of relief. “Subject is too far, can’t get a good shot through the trees.” “No shit too far Irish” said Jacob with painful sarcasm. “It wasn’t THAT far old man! You’re just…you’re just…”
Ignoring her he bent down and hugged the dog. Aednat made her way across the scattered remains of our group. “We need to get out of here before it comes back!” I removed the magazine from my pistol and stared at the rounds finally realizing what they were. They were explosive rounds something I had only ever seen in movies. “That thing is as good as dead! I shot it enough to kill it twice!” “I gree vit Anton,” everybody seemed to ignore me as Aednat watched our group gather ourselves together. “We need to have a plan in case it does comes back. Does anybody have an idea…a realistic idea?” There was silence between us all.
Mwai made his way forward his gashes had reopened upon his thrashing from the creature.
Blood once again oozed under his shirt. “I do…but first I got to get patched up again.” “And how do you know your plan will work?” Mwai saw the fight in Raska and tapped the cell phone in a holster on his belt, “because we’re going to blow that thing straight to hell!”
The Trap Is Set
[ THE GETAWAY]
A superior giggle seemed to wrap around the table as smoke continued to fill the room.
“Oh, Thorbjorn that Candidate of yours makes me laugh so.” Gazing at his playing cards Thorbjorn straightened his glasses. “And what makes you say that Lord Otto,” flipping some chips into the pile. Giggling again slightly grasping his own chest, Lord Otto stared around at the other members playing at the table. “He ACTUALLY thinks that his little plan is going to have a chance against the creature. I still don’t understand why Jacob doesn’t help Mwai. After all, he has the only experience with the creature anyway.”
“Always so self-absorbed aren’t we Lord Otto? I still believe Yakov has a great chance
‘The Butcher of Bolkhov’ can’t be counted out just yet. I’m so sick of the way we count odds!”
Waving his cigar at Lord Otto Ivan continued, “I have been saying that for years haven’t I…outdated crockery! “He is injured Ivan from the foot trap, or did you miss that? Look at the screen his bracelets register four one-inch holes in the ankle. There is no way he is going to make it to the end even WITH the blood enhancements. I believe everyone is aware of my displeasure with the use of enhancements for your Candidate’s eligibility in the first place.
Never-the-less, I still can’t believe you’ve put so much money on him!
Stopping the tension between Ivan and Lord Otto Conrad spoke up, “I’ll raise two hundred…speaking of self-absorbed what happened with Ron? I saw him leave after the creature left to regenerate?” Giggling like a schoolgirl Lord Otto curled his lips, “it seems our friend is a sore loser. Is this his first time being a Sponsor?” A man with hair like a football
helmet threw in some chips. “Yea, I didn’t see that Hakeem going far anyway. His report was sketchy on that juice stuff.” “Personally Joseph, I linked it to him escaping all those prisons.
Although, he isn’t as evil as my Aednat. Any person could kill but when she kills, she changes history.”
Everyone around the table began to laugh even the brutish Ivan gave a boisterous snort.
“I don’t even know how the Elite said that SHE was qualified in the first place! She’s not evil in the slightest Gordon. And her inclusion in this game has broken the rules clearly. I filed a motion for her immediate removal.” Gordon’s mousy fist slammed the table without it even wobbling. “You fat shit Ivan! If anybody should be filing motions for removal it should be me with your blood enhancements for Yakov! She received Elite approval, plus you don’t know her like I do Ivan!” Gordon turned to the scoreboard and straightened his small glasses. “She will kill them all first before she dies, it’s funny. You all sit there laughing as we play this Texas Hold Em’ game but know this. If she goes down, she will take whoever is in the room with her.
So, either way she will be the last and the trophy and money will go to me.”
“Harold I must say that your fellow Raska is very entertaining! He’s like a child with a gun.” The gray-haired man sat back in his chair eyeing Lord Otto. Rosenberg smirked laying his cards down. “Yes, he is…rather annoying if you ask me honestly. Although, l must admit nobody’s worse than that scum right there I’ll tell you that!” Arguing went around the table as everyone seemed to be going on about the Hunt. “Oh, please Pascal that little 12 shot pistol of your Candidate poses no threat. He doesn’t belong in a battle like this. He belongs in a sweat shop.” “And you’re one to talk Jango, you’re nothing but a reporter! What do you know about finding evil men? Kiyoshi would drape his living room with your little racist shit Anton!”
Jango removed his cigar and waved it sarcastically at Pascal. “Oh, I am sorry that you didn’t read the Gamer Guide Pascal.” “What about him breaking into the Kremlin Jango? There were no specifics in the report about that you fool!” Jango slammed down his cigar in the ashtray. “He burnt down a church filled with his ex-girlfriends’ and her boyfriends’ families.
He continues the fight for Adolf Hitler and Third Reich.” “No, no my good Jango you’re forgetting…” Gordon pointed to everyone around the table as they said in unison, “the FOURTH Reich!” The table erupted into laughter as Lord Otto seemed to giggle the highest and hardest of all. “Oh, look gentlemen they are setting up their supposed trap!” Joseph was pointing to one of the several large televisions that lined the large banquet hall. “Yes, let’s finish up the game I would like to take a couple laps in the pool.” Lord Otto giggled softly saying,
“who are you kidding Ivan you aren’t going to go do any laps!”
[Aednat]
“Pull it out Irish…” Hakeem was gripping his leg as I scanned over him. “Jesus Christ and the sacred mother what is with your leg?” Aednat had dragged Hakeem into the far corner of the hotel. The rest of the group didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Raska just laughed at me, “that…you want me to touch that sick motherfucker? Forget you and forget him!” “Be careful Aednat those bumps on his face and legs are probably Syphilis.” “Thanks Chris,” wanting to puke as I pulled the stick out of his leg letting Hakeem scream louder than before. “WILL YOU SHUT HIM UP?” Raska yelled moving forward, “you don’t want to draw that thing back, do you?” Ignoring Raska, I muttered “put pressure on it Hakeem, I’ll be right back!”
“Then we’ll force it down this hallway and have it land right into the circle here.” Mwai was walking still gripping his wounds with the rest of the group. They were walking through a hallway that led to an open area. The entire east wall of the first floor had collapsed. “You see if we wheel these cars closer and trap the creature in the circle. It will be like shooting a monkey in a barrel.” “A monkey in a barrel, a monkey in a barrel, I don’t think this is a good idea! The creature is too big it’ll just leap over the cars!” Mwai shook his head at Anton still clenching his wounds tightly. “Not if we all open fire on it at the same time.” “Mwai will you please let me stitch you fully up before this all takes place.” Waving me away, “get away…get off me woman! What’re you going to stitch me up with anyway? You got a first aid kit stashed somewhere? You still have Hakeem injured and Yakov. You can’t fix us all!” Shouldering my rifle, “the cauterized wounds aren’t holding anymore. You’re going to lose blood fast and then be completely useless to us.” Mwai shrugged me off as he continued, “there is only one problem. We are going to need some bait. You know something to draw the creature in.”
“Jesus more cameras…” Chris was pointing towards three cameras across the way.
“Fine Mwai you don’t want help. I’m going back to help Hakeem.” “FORGET HIM BITCH, now listen and listen good if the creature lives it’s going to come back. Didn’t you see how many times we shot that creature? If THAT creature can take THAT many bullets and STILL
attack, then it is something out of the ordinary. It should have died but didn’t! It’s not a matter of if the creature is going to comeback but when it’s going to come back. So, this is the easiest and fastest plan that we can make with the time we are given.” Pointing to a gasping Hakeem, Mwai winched as he continued “and him, I think we should leave him.”
Everyone looked at Mwai as Hakeem lay pleading grabbing his leg and trying to fix himself. He sat in the corner of the room cleaning his wound with a dirty bed sheet. It seemed
nobody wanted to touch him even I was hesitant. “Look at that sick motherfucker, the creature ain’t going to want him!” Raska was shouldering his AK too, “I say we leave that old mother…”
Mwai waved his bloody hand at Raska, “this isn’t a game boy! Hakeem has the freshest blood.
So, the creature will most likely go for him. This is an advantage nothing more.” Hakeem began to cough violently as he opened his fist. He realized that blood had collected into the bandana wrapped around his hand. He wiped it off on his trench coat as he removed one of the two small pouches from around his neck. I watched him chanting some words as he opened the brown pouch into his hands beginning to rub the contents together.
The group continued to talk as I heard Mwai yell, “YO Irish bitch! You’re going to snipe from the rooftop! You and Jacob will get prime shots, you hear me?” I turned to him and gave him a fake, “of course I heard you…boss!” He snarled and returned towards the group. “I’m going to kill all of you and save you for last Mwai!” I knew my words had gone unheard because Mwai was now instructing where everybody else should go.
“Who died and left you in charge? If anybody should be talking about setting a trap it should be ME! I’m the only one that has set traps before when I was snatching diamonds.
Besides like Irish said were setting a trap on the assumption that the creature is coming back.
What if we killed it? If the creature does come back, I think what we should do…” Mwai reached into the side of his pants and removed his machete. “If you cut me off one more time Raska, I will cut off your hands and make sure the only thing you do for the rest of eternity is…”
“How’re you going to do that when I fill you with thirty shells before you and your machete takes its first strike? And will you shut that dirty motherfucker up? That muttering, and shit has got me tweaking!” Everyone turned to Hakeem who was examining scattered chicken bones on the ground. “What the hell is that freak doing?” Anton had spoken up, it seemed since the
creature had attacked he had lost that pompous attitude. Raska snarled at him like a dog would snarl at the cur of the group. Jacob returned to the group, “forget that clown and forget this trap!
We should just keep walking and get the hell out of here.”
Kiyoshi had now sprung into action making wild motions with his hand and then smashed it against his fist. Raska yelled at him with eyes bulging wide. “I don’t understand you with your damn Ching-Chong language boy! You’re waiving your hands like a fool! I don’t understand waiving arm language!” Mwai stared down at the scrawny man as I moved my attention away from the group to get a better glance at Hakeem. Hakeem was fiddling with his bandannas tied tightly around his hands. I mimicked him playing with the Irish flag bandanna tied around my left hand. I heard the group arguing, but none of the dogs talking were going to be of any use to me. I needed a way out of here but with a creature like that I would need the entire group. I shot every shot I could and as fast as I could but all of it was in vain. The creature was torn up and stained with blood, but why didn’t it die? The fur seemed too thick acting almost like a bulletproof vest. It had to be the fur that was the only way the creature could have survived a barrage like that and in such close corridors. Yakov had ripped off the sleeves of his uniform trying to tie them around his ankle. He looked to be applying a tourniquet from his belt, but the rest of his transgressions were lost when there came a SNAP. The rest of the group didn’t hear the sound. They were too busy arguing as now Anton was in the middle talking something about a “three-day raid by the American ATF.” Hakeem was muttering into a crushed white powder. He spit in it several times and mixed it up before he began to spread it over his wound like a paste.
Hakeem was dripping with sweat as the white paste spread over the gaping hole. He untied the bandanna around his left hand and tied it firmly across the wound in his leg. Leaning
back Hakeem gave a sigh of relief as he snatched up his chicken bones. “Kiyoshi is saying the only way to kill it is to have something fall on it?” “What the hell does that symbol mean boy?”
Chris gazed at Raska and then back at Kiyoshi, “hold on…you gotta slow your arms down, ok? I only ever read about this stuff…yeah, ok?” Talking between Raska and Mwai Chris replied, “he says there’s a water tower on top of this building. We can use the explosive to blow the leg and bam…creature pizza.” Mwai snarled, “that water tower might fall outside the circle. We can’t trap it there. If it wants us, it’ll have to come out this door surrounded by the cars.”
There came a soft rattle as Hakeem had thrown his chicken bones on the floor again. He watched them clatter and began to trace them with his fingers. I heard Nikki in the background,
“Et oesn’t madder vhat ve sould o! Ve sould cee vhere dis ting ends!” “Yeah, that’s a great idea! You heard that guy on that video thing a 400-mile battle zone. You wanna walk that?”
Chris huffed his sarcasm at Nikki and their argument intensified. I watched Hakeem begin to mutter rapidly. He seemed to be panicking as he traced the bones.
“Where the hell do you think you are going Crocodile Dundee?” Jacob was already walking away towards the door with that stupid mutt at his heels. “I’m doing what we should have been doing the whole time. I’m putting as much distance between us and the creature.
Hopefully, we will have gone too far out of its territory for it to continue hunting us.” Jacob turned from the group and removed the bandolier slung across his body tossing it into the grass.
“Ve are es food!” Nikki was now pushing past all of us as Hakeem raised his blood-soaked hand at the nearest person. “Demon…demon…it’s a…it’s a…it’s…” His arms waved wildly at anybody that ran past him. “YOU KNOW SOMETHING!” Nikki was chasing after Jacob like they were in a lover’s quarrel. “I zaw de look vou gav de reature! Dat look ven dat ting ad vou
…” “I have no idea what you are talking about young lady! Now if you all wanna go play house that’s fine. Lefu and I are doing what we do best.” “Unning,” yelled Nikki.
Hakeem stared up at me and saw that I was the only one that was left on the first floor with him. “It is coming…we…need…to…run…now!” Hakeem’s eyes were wild, and I could see that he was terrified. “Vou know de creature! Vou’ve zeen et efore Yacob! Get bak ere nd dell us! Elp me Cris!” Blowing her off again Jacob was storming away, “from what I have seen you can’t kill this creature easily. Lefu and I shouldn’t have stayed and listened to your stupid plans. I should have trusted myself and gone when I had the chance.” Hakeem was struggling to stand as he reached for me to help him up. I shook my head now disgusted with the evident truth of his diseased self. I heard Chris yelling behind me. “You’re a fucking liar Jacob! You know what that creature is! Lord Otto was right all along…get back here and tell us what we are dealing….”
“AAAHHHOOOO,” a howl that seemed to come far over the horizon. Everyone seemed to stop dead in their tracks. “It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming,” Hakeem’s wild eyes seemed to show the severity of the situation. Mwai began to shout orders and Raska was busy fighting every step of the way. Heading into the hotel Mwai walked over to Raska clearly yelling at the top of his lungs. “Just shut up Raska, shut the hell up, we are out of time! Grab that freak and the old man, we’ll toss them out there in the middle of the courtyard for bait.
Everyone will take their position alright?”
“AAAHHHOOO,” the howl seemed to be getting closer. I watched as the entire group now saw the futility in their squabbling. I should have known that putting the biggest dogs in a cage every dog is going to want to take charge. Everyone pushed past as Mwai grabbed a
struggling Hakeem, “put me down!” Mwai was yelling loudly as Hakeem struggled violently.
Although it appeared as if his leg had healed or at least healed enough to walk on. “You and Yakov have the freshest blood.” Hakeem thrashed against Mwai’s fist. “Relax Hakeem, Yakov and I are going to be out here with you.”
They were practically running into the center of the small courtyard just outside of the crumbling hotel. Few cars were scattered here and there. “White boys sneak in behind it and we can trap it in the center.” Mwai and Raska made their way to the center throwing Hakeem like a contaminated tissue onto the ground. I followed them out as I moved towards the abandoned shopping complex hopping onto the top of a broken-down van as I set up my spot.
“AAAHHHOOO,” Mwai began to search through the phone on the ground. “Old man get over here now!” Yakov stood in the middle of the small area and shook his head. Mwai was unable to see his protest as he was pointing to the rest of the members of our group. “You go there, you there behind that car. White boys get moving…get to the back of the building and flush the creature this way when it gets close. We will blow the creature sky high with this cell bomb.” “AAAHHOOO,” “Yo Dundee take a sniping position over there!” Raska made his way towards Mwai, “when this is done, I’m going to beat you into the sand with these clubs on my back…you hear me?” Turning from Mwai, I watched Raska and Kiyoshi make their way towards the rusted cars. However, Kiyoshi began to run at top speed. He passed the car and went around the building leaving us.
“Where the hell is he going?” Anton was pointing towards the white suited Kiyoshi just as his pants whipped around the corner. “COWARD,” Raska yelled loudly as Mwai dragged Yakov down to the ground. “Move and I’ll kill you myself…both of you!” Yakov looked like
he was about to run but his ankle seemed to have him paralyzed in place. “Don’t even think about it Russian, I stand by what I say and if you move you will lose more than that eye!”
Yakov snarled loudly, “you’re lucky darkie I don’t…” “AAAHHHOOOO,” “it’s getting closer!” Jacob shouted shouldering his rifle and disappearing between two rusty cars. I watched him through my scope hopping over a mound of concrete and debris.
[Mwai]
How I got everyone to follow my instructions was beyond me. Maybe it was the panic caused by the first attack of the creature? Maybe it was that everybody seemed out of their league? The one that I expected the most resistance from was the poacher. Was the white boy and the slut, right? Did Jacob know more than he was telling us? Or maybe he had finally met a creature that he couldn’t take on alone? The wind grew silent as the clouds moved in the air gracefully. My side began to hurt as I felt weaker with every passing second. I knew that I needed help but if I was going to live past this moment, I would have to defeat this creature. I couldn’t hide my fear but maybe it was my confidence that made the group listen?
Yakov and Hakeem were lying next to me, “when I click the dial button, we will shoot the creature as much as we can to make our escape ok?” Yakov growled, “This isn’t going to work! Look at me I have to use this big ass rifle! You’re going to kill us all!” Hakeem shook with terror, “it is a demon! We can’t kill it!” “Relax the both of you and just follow my lead!
Do that and we will live.” CRACK… something metal had crashed against something wooden in the distance. There was loud breathing followed by scrapping metal on a brick wall. The creature was drawing closer snarling loudly. I saw the shadow move through the front doorway.
“It, it is tracking us.” A loud lapping sound could be heard as I whispered, “it can taste us.”
Hakeem was shaking violently as he reached into his trench coat for his snake, “HISSSSS!”
“Don’t be an idiot Hakeem just wait!” There came a snort and a loud BANG as the creature began to move towards the building.
I felt my wound beginning to throb harder as sweat began to cover my forehead. My hand began to twitch as I reached over to make sure the phone was still on. Only one button and it would take three rings before the phone would explode. Well at least the last time that I had one it took only three rings. I stared through the depths of the door frame as the light began to darken. The large fully regenerated creature had made its way into the hallway. I could see it sniffing the air and Hakeem had been right, it was a demon. I saw the creature’s tongue licking the air. It tasted us and seemed to know that blood was near. The hallway grew darker as it moved forward. “It’s coming I must…” “Stay where you are Hakeem,” reaching into his trench coat again. “You grab that piece Hakeem and I’m gunna chop off your arms.” I held his arm,
“don’t you dare move! Yakov keep that rifle low!” Hakeem tried to throw my hand off, “get off me…” he froze in terror.
Hakeem turned to the door as a pair of large claws grabbed the sides of the door frame.
“It’s coming,” the large barrel head stuck out as it sniffed the air loudly. The once bullet riddled, and bloody creature had returned to its original appearance. Its red eye whirred like a machine as it focused on us. Its head extended more as it opened its mouth exposing its long titanium-plated teeth. Drool ran thickly over its lips as it stretched like long spaghetti noodles. “That’s it come on you stupid beast.” I heard Yakov beginning to scurry back. “Don’t, don’t it will get wind of everything.” The creature took a step out of the door as the stairs shattered beneath the weight of it. It moved towards the three of us as my fingers traced the cell phone. “Just a little closer,” the creature moved slowly as if stunned by the fact that three men were lying in the dirt waiting to be
eaten. The creature took another apprehensive step forward as the claws underneath its plates curled menacingly.
Hakeem began to retreat, “DON’T…stay exactly where you are!” The creature took another step forward. “Just a little further,” “start the phone!” I didn’t listen to the idiot Russian.
I had to wait until the creature was just close enough. It moved even more slowly. A light reflected in my eyes as I saw a camera in the far corner of the building peering down upon all of us. I had to deal with that later, the creature took another step. I reached over and pushed the green button of the cell phone. I watched the screen on the phone change. “Alright start…” I froze when the creature stopped in its tracks itself. It stared down at me and then at the phone.
Raising its head, I saw the creature’s red eye beginning to whir as it stared at the scattered cars surrounding us all.
CONNECTING….
111-111-1111
The creature quickly turned its head back down to the three of us and then back up to the cars. “It sees the trap,” Yakov yelled. “Really…no don’t go Hakeem!” Hakeem had scrambled to his feet and began to hobble away. The creature’s head darted sharply up as it prepared to bound after the scrambling Hakeem. It stopped when Yakov struggled to stay on his feet and began to take off in the opposite directions. I was left all alone staring at the beast who stared at both its fleeing preys. It seemed to be struggling in the decision as to who to chase. I watched the screen on the phone change again.
DIALING…
I began to back up knowing an explosion would happen the moment the screen changed to read, CONNECTED. I began to scurry back as fast as I could sliding the phone towards the creature as delicately as I could. My scurrying caught the attention of the great beast as it turned its attention back down at me. Its attention then turned to the phone that had been slid in front of it. It stood over seven feet tall as it snarled its teeth preparing to lunge on the only fool that had stayed to face it. I tried to show no fear as I continued to back away slowly. “Come on just a couple more seconds you big piece of shit!” It stared at the cars, and I knew that it could sense people behind them.
The phone continued to dial as it lay a mere foot in front of it. “That’s it just stay there you stupid mother…” Fireworks seemed to be going off as I realized a mortal mistake was being made. The two white boys had begun to fire coming in directly behind the beast. “FUCK,” I yelled loudly realizing the creature was moments from retreating. I stood up as fast as I could removing my machete and slashed it across its face. I twirled it before sending it back down across the beast’s shoulder and the across its chest. Hair flew in the air as the creature raised it paw and smacked me in the chest. It hit with the force of a car as I flew backwards away from the spot. It snarled one last time and then like lighting it darted to my left and took off after Hakeem. It must have seen Hakeem as the weakest of the three of us. “No, come back here!”
My yells were in vain as I felt my ribs had been broken.
BAM…BAM…BAM…BAM…BAM…BAM… I saw the blonde girl firing wildly at the creature.
Her pink pistol recoiling violently as she stepped forward with every shot. I gripped my side in utter agony as I yelled loudly, “STAY BACK!” I saw the blonde step closer to the phone. I saw the face of the phone change one final time.
111-111-1111
The explosion wasn’t as a large as I had expected. However, Nikki had been caught in it and was sent backwards just as I was. She crashed against a rusted car and fell to the ground like a pile of used towels. The beast leapt over a large slab of concrete before it stopped when a loud BANG filled the air. I saw Aednat had taken a shot and caught the creature in the throat. From behind the rusted car stood Raska who was firing his AK wildly over the creature’s chest. He was screaming loudly as his words were undistinguishable through the hail of gunfire. The creature took every bullet as it had before. The creature had unnaturally dark red blood that began to shower over the landscape like a dog shaking water off its fur.
The creature began to retreat slightly recoiling at the hail of gunfire from the combined efforts of the group. It bellowed as a different sound filled the commotion, SNAP! There came a creaking like metal bending. The creature turned its head upright as a shadow had now blocked the light from the sun. It sent a great shadow to cast down upon our ambush. The small water tower that Mr. Thousand Words had told us about earlier was now falling over us. “GET OUT
OF THE WAY,” I yelled as I scrambled away as fast as I could. I was grabbing my chest and wounds trying to push through the excruciating pain. The creature bound over Raska and began to take off into the nearest field.
The water tower crashed over the open area that the creature had once occupied. The container burst as water poured from the sides of its broken hull. Raska was helplessly swept off his feet as the tidal wave washed over him. I watched the creature making its escape, BOOM…
BOOM … BOOM. Aednat was standing rifle raised firing at the creature. It took a shot in the
leg and began to limp over the hill disappearing from sight. I grabbed my chest tighter and tried to breathe a sigh of relief. The air stung like a hundred bee stings. I watched Jacob’s dog bound forward and begin to chase the creature. “Where the hell are you going Jacob?” Jacob lowered his gun as he began to take off after the creature as well. He stopped and turned back to us, “it’s injured if we want to kill it for good now is the time!” Jacob turned back after several steps noticing Aednat behind him. “Jacob, we need to gather everyone together you can’t fight that thing on your own!” Aednat’s words seemed to have no effect on the poacher. He twirled his mustache, “well then are you coming or not?” I watched Aednat gaze towards all of us and then back to Jacob. “Let’s gather everybody together, and we can help kill it.” “WELL, let’s get moving my dear! The longer we wait the more it can recover or didn’t you notice that after the first time!”
Safe Haven
[ THE GETAWAY]
A cloud of smoke bellowed around the room as laughter filled the large banquet hall.
Many people were dressed up in the finest clothes while some clenched glasses of scotch or cognac filled with ice. Clinking glasses and laughter seemed the only noise the room seemed too eminent. The large television screens that surrounded the room were still flashing different pictures and different angles of the Hunt. “Ivan, Ivan did you really think that an old man…a man at his age would…or could really last until the end? He can barely walk as it is even with the blood enhancements!” The large beefy man puffed himself up in anger at Lord Otto. “And Thorbjorn my friend, I don’t understand you either! Your contestant is in even worse shape…and you’re STILL putting money on him for a Skull & Bone Award!” Thorbjorn shook his head, “you don’t know Mwai like I do! He is a killer and he’ll never give up…never!” “Oh, my dear Thorbjorn, he is already infected, that scratch by the creature sealed his fate. One bite, one scratch, his death is but a certainty…” “You’ll see Lord Otto, you will see.”
[Anton]
“What do you mean go after it? You must be crazy? You all are fucking nuts! You know that?” I checked over my historical MP38 which functioned as if brand new. If only my father could see me now God rest his soul. During my struggle for survival my genuine SS
uniform had become muddy, and I knew a disgrace to the honor that it required to wear. I tried to ignore the large mud stains covering my once pristine military boots. It felt good to be back in uniform and not confined in a cell with a baggy orange jump suit. “Yeah boy, GO after it! It’s
injured and we should finish it off or it will come back like it did before!” I shook my head at Jacob, “Impossible…it clearly ran off to die! We should try to escape like you planned on before.” “And what, let that creature come back again?” I shook my head as I wiped mud off my sleeve. “Impossible I filled its back with as many bullets as I could fire. It won’t be back.”
“ARE YOU BLIND, what the hell was THAT?” Aednat moved forward continuing, “Or was that just ANOTHER creature that happened to track us down and attack us?” Shaking my head again, “either way we have too many injured. Simple military tactics is you fix the wounded then you attack…” “And then what, wait for that, that thing to come back?” Aednat was on the offensive continuing, “I shot that thing and it just hobbled away, if it came back the first time it will come back again.” “You don’t attack with injured men Aednat its utter insanity!” “I’m sorry to interrupt you two but if I am going to pick up the trail we need to have left like yesterday!”
I stood speechless as Aednat walked over and helped Yakov to his feet as he threw her off, “I can valk myself!” A ghost seemed to emerge from the crumbling door frame. I realized that it was the shrimp and I scoffed at him. He examined the crumbled water tower with a look of utter confusion. He straightened his suit jacket as he made his way towards the group.
Aednat had already made her way towards Mwai who was struggling to his feet. “GET OFF OF
ME IRISH!” Throwing her off as Yakov did, he began to hug himself as he took a wobbly step.
His arm went wildly up as Aednat caught him, “yeah, yeah, yeah, big tough Mwai doesn’t need help from nobody.” Mwai leaned on Aednat as she helped to carry him slightly. They made their way to the rest of us, “alright Jacob led the way.” Jacob stared down at his dog, “go on Lefu track.” The dog looked up at its master with big brown eyes of confusion. “DON’T give
me that look Lefu, you know what I’m saying!” The dog wagged its tail slightly and firmly sat on the ground.
“You see even your dog thinks we should stay!” Jacob turned to me and then back down to his dog. “We should stay, dig in deep and have somebody with real military experience…”
Through clenched teeth I watched Mwai grit in pain, “if…I had the strength…wh-white boy I would, I’d skin you alive.” Silence filled the group as we all stared at each other. Jacob was the only one that was watching his dog. He stared down at it as its ears pricked up in anticipation of things to come. Jacob looked as if he had never seen his dog act this way. The dog gave a little wag of its tail again as it shuffled its front paws with a slight smile. “Track,” Jacob repeated pointing to the direction of the beast. The dog turned its head and then back to its owner. I watched Jacob’s mustache twitch as his lips curled into a snarl. Kicking the dog slightly, “get moving Lefu!”
The dog moved several inches before it jumped onto all fours. “Track,” Lefu froze and then Jacob pointed to the ground, “TRACK!” The dog whined for a minute but sniffed the ground and began to sniff the air. The dog gave a pleading look as Jacob shouted, “TRACK!”
The dog whined again and then began to move towards the beast’s escape route. “Lefu’s got the trail, now let’s go!” Jacob chambered a round as he led the way, “everyone follow me.” Raska began to follow, “I agree with the white boy we should dig in! I only have a couple bullets left, so we’re all fucked!” Everyone seemed to laugh even the walking shrimp cracked a smile.
Grumbling, “fine since we are tracking the creature…” Raska picked up an unconscious Nikki and decided to carry her on the hunt for the wounded creature. Although, it seemed that Raska was merely carrying her to grab certain parts of her body.
The sun was now setting in the sky as we continued our journey. We marched on until the urban area began to leave us and turn into a large field of tall grass. Marching through the grass we crossed what seemed like miles and miles of barren landscape. I marched with my hands folded behind me. My miniature “Bouncing Betty” bounced off my leg with every stride I took. I felt the antique machine gun resting on my back as we made a single file line through the grass. I could hear Mwai complaining the entire time. He groaned with pain as Aednat did her part to carry him. “Jacob there’s footprints all over the place.” “I know Irish, I know.”
We kept marching on as Hakeem was hobbling up ahead like an injured animal. I kept to myself as I watched him move off the trail that we had been following. I tried to gaze ahead to see Jacob’s mutt wandering from side to side tracking every inch that we were walking. “Are you sure that creature came this far Jacob?” Chris made his way up to the front to where Jacob was leading the march. “That thing was injured couldn’t it just have wandered off and…died somewhere?” I watched Jacob stop in his tracks and turn to Chris. However, my attention was drawn towards Hakeem who had wandered off slightly staring into a particularly large clump of grass. “You are as delusional as that other white boy! That creature came back before fully healed what makes you think…” I lost the rest of their words when I noticed Hakeem remove something. He removed his Mac-10 from his coat and began prodding at something in the grass.
I walked over towards him away from the group. The crunching of the dry grass halted as everybody seemed to be eyeing the both of us suspiciously. “What’re you looking at?” Hakeem pointed to a small rock and next to it laid a grayish log. The closer I inspected the log the more familiar it became. “Is that…is that what I think it is?” I began to reach down to grab it when a diseased dark hand grabbed my wrist. Eyes were wide with terror as he shook his head, “don’t touch it! The arm is cursed!” I swung my machine gun around my back and moved towards the
arm. I poked the barrel into the wrist and shockingly the fingers twitched violently. Hakeem and I jumped back but I collided into something. “WATCH OUT WHITE BOY!” Raska grabbed my shoulders and shoved me to the side. As I regained my balance, I heard the group arguing, “that’s impossible!” “What the hell is that? How is that possible?”
Lefu began to howl as our group turned to the mongrel. “Well, Lefu’s got a strong scent.
We need to keep going before she loses it.” It took several comments from Jacob before we continued to move through the grass. Chris seemed to be the only one completely taken aback by the moving arm. “I just don’t know how it can keep moving…it’s medically inconceivable!
Jacob, you know what’s going on! I don’t understand why you won’t tell us!” I watched Jacob’s eyes glare at Chris, “boy if you don’t shut the hell up with that, I’m gunna have Lefu here rip out your throat. You get me?”
We marched on until the grass turned to trees and soon a forest enclosed around us.
Several times during our trek, I noticed scattered bullet casings and even a few rusted weapons.
Yakov limped the entire journey but never asked for help or even let out as much as a grumble of pain. We continued to journey through the forest as Lefu lead the way. Mwai groaned with every step, “Jacob how much further…Jacob…Jacob!” Aednat was groaning under Mwai’s weight as I smiled at her. “You know you could help Anton!” I shook my head, “I don’t fancy these German hands touching him even with gloves on.” I watched her roll her eyes in disgust.
“Racist shit,” she continued carrying Mwai whose dark skin was growing paler and paler with every hour that passed.
The trees surrounded us as the branches twisted into crooked fingers. The forest stood silent seemingly absent of all animal life. “Hold up,” Jacob stopped when a large sign hung on a particularly large tree. Rusted and covered with mud and dirt, it hung by a rusty nail.
DANGER TRAPS AHEAD
- All Candidates Have Been Warned -
“Everyone be careful,” Jacob nodded at Lefu who lapped at its black lips and then began to move forward. I kept my hands behind my back as we continued through the forest. I watched Jacob’s eyes as he scanned every tree and every bush. “This is stupid Jacob,” Chris had broken the silence as everyone continued to move. “We shouldn’t be doing this. We should try to find the wall! We should try and get these bracelets off.” Jacob’s eyes continued to scan the trees. I smirked at them all wondering what everybody had on their minds. I seemed to be the only one realizing the futility of our struggle. As everybody marched forward following a mutt, nobody seemed to realize the danger in our cause. Ammo was beginning to run low, and another encounter was foolish without bulletds to fight it.
Jacob lowered himself to the ground and examined a particularly large paw print embedded deep in the mud. Dark red blood filled two of the toes, “Jacob we should be going towards the wall. We should find a way out…no good can come of this…” Grabbing Jacob’s arm, “this is what they want!” Jacob threw off his hand as Chris grabbed him again, “will you listen to me?” I watched Jacob freeze as his handlebar mustache was clumped with sweat, “look you must see them…” Jacob’s eyes narrowed as Chris continued, “there are cameras…everywhere!” Throwing his hand off again, “I know I see them too boy!” Aednat was groaning under Mwai’s limp body, “who Chris, who do you think is watching us?” I watched
Chris turn to her and then shake in frustration. “I-I don’t know…I don’t know…but obviously it has to be the people on the videos we watched.” “And who are they Chris, huh?” “FORGET IT, the both of you” yelled Jacob as Lefu moved further forward. “The creature is injured and has traveled a little further than I expected. It’s injured and if we hope to kill this thing we have to keep moving and find it…and finish it.”
“I’m not taking another step to find that creature! I’m getting out of here and if any of you want to live, I suggest you come with me.” Jacob stood up “NO, we should kill it, kill it now!” “It won’t come back again! We got it good so now let’s make our escape.” “We-we need…to…stick…together, Chris.” Aednat struggled with her words, “whether we like…it…or not. We are a squad…and squads stick together.” Chris shook his head, “I didn’t want this.”
My eyes darted back and forth between Aednat and Chris as they continued to argue. “Forget you…forget you all,” Chris turned and left the group. Heading into the forest, “boy, there are traps out there!” Jacob yelled waving his hand, “I’m done playing their game Jacob! It’s time we start playing a different one.” He continued to march away from the group. “Don’t fight a battle if you don’t gain anything by…” SNAP…TWANG!
I watched Chris turn completely upside down and fly into the air. He dangled wildly and smacked against a thick tree. CRACK… something deafened the sound as Chris began to scream in pain. He gripped his arm in pain howling loudly. I watched Raska set Nikki’s unconscious body on the ground. Everybody hesitated before beginning to move towards Chris. “Stay where you are, no sense everybody getting snared in traps!” Jacob moved out of his position as he pushed past Raska. He inched towards Chris who was swearing loudly gripping his arm. “It’s broken…my arm…it’s fucking broken!” Jacob moved closer, “calm down boy, I’ll cut you down boy!”
I watched Jacob remove his knife nicknamed “Beast Killer” carefully. He began inching his way towards him. The entire blade was stained with dark red blood as Jacob finally grabbed a swinging, Chris. I watched him cut the thick rope and Chris fell to the ground with a soft, THUD! “Patch yourself up and let’s keep…” “My fucking arm is broken you idiot!” Chris was gripping his arm tightly as he sat rocking on the ground. “Half the group is injured boy! Look at Hakeem he has been walking fine this entire time and even Yakov has been limping the entire way.” Jacob pointed to Yakov who had been using his bow as a sort of makeshift walking stick.
“Now sling that arm and let’s get moving,” “WITH WHAT?”
“AAHHHOOOO,” Everyone nearly jumped out of their skin. Guns were quickly raised and even I grabbed the quickest weapon that I could. I raised my Astra in the direction of the howl and realized that it was that stupid mutt. “Ach du lieber,” I yelled as I stared at the dog, who wagged its tail several times. “Relax everybody it’s just Lefu, she has found something.”
Jacob helped Chris up from his feet as the group continued to move forward following the mutt.
We marched approximately two hundred more yards and then stopped suddenly when Jacob held up his hand, “woah, woah everybody slow down!” I watched Jacob lower himself again and begin to touch another footprint. I pushed around Raska who was starting to groan under the weight of Nikki. I found the reason for the mutt’s howl and the reason for our sudden halt. A barbed wire fence stretched in front of us as far as we could see through the forest. A white warning sign was hung every other section of the fence. I approached Jacob asking, “so, the creature went through here?” Jacob seemed to ignore the signs as little red flags littered the ground past the wire fence. It seemed every section was covered with them making the journey over the fence a literal “Dead Man Zone”.
RESTRICTED AREA
“Well, that’s just great Crocodile Dundee just fucking great,” Raska placed Nikki down on the ground. “I’ve been carrying this bitch for miles and look at where you have led us…a dead end!” Chris moved forward, “all this time…all this time you motherfucker! We could have headed towards that wall! We could have gotten out but NO you wanted to kill the creature, to fill some sort of pride!” “It’s not about pride you little shit!” Jacob sounded just as angry as everybody else. He looked down at Lefu who sat tongue hanging out looking as if she had found a bone in a pile of dirt. “What the hell are you smiling at Lefu? What do you want from me, a treat?” “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” “and what the hell are you smiling at you racist shit?” I watched Raska move towards me teeth clenched and sweat coating his bald head. “I told you. I told you all, didn’t I? Now look at the mess we are in! It is completely idiotic to go on the offensive when you have almost half your squad injured…” Pointing to Chris I added, “and with more getting injured along the way.” “I’ll kill you, you little shit! I’ll cut you up myself…”
Mwai was breathing heavy, but Jacob came between us. My calm exterior and superior smirk must have sent them all over the edge. “Let’s just see if we can go around, it alright! We can still make our move.”
Chris complained the entire time as we followed the fence for a mile and then another mile. Raska’s face was coated with grease as he carried the unconscious Nikki the entire way.
He grumbled several times, “heavy little bitch…I should drop this whore and leave her as bait.”
I wondered how long it would take for Raska to finally crack. Aednat carried Mwai who was growing weaker and weaker every second. His dark skin tone was fading as he grew even paler.
Aednat was growing more tired as she tried to hold him up the best she could. Mwai’s legs were beginning to drag behind him.
“Forget this,” Raska dropped Nikki on the ground. “Let’s just go over it,” Raska made his way towards the barbed wire. “Look there’s the end of the fence,” Aednat sounded relieved.
Raska was inches from the fence when I watched Kiyoshi snatch his wrist. “What the hell do you think you’re doing shrimp boy?” Kiyoshi shook his head and stared down at the fence releasing Raska’s wrist. Kiyoshi made a sound that would have made sense had he a tongue.
Raska shook his head in confusion, “I don’t know what you are saying! You should really speak up when you want something.” Raska reached over, “I’m through with all this we can just…”
Raska grabbed the barbed wire. He screamed violently as he began to shake wildly. He released the wire as he flew backwards several feet. Raska began to shake violently on the ground as he struggled to regain consciousness.
It took ten minutes for Raska to regain consciousness. It took him nearly a lifetime to regain his balance and composure. “What the hell is your problem? Why-why didn’t you tell me you walking piece of guppy shit?” Kiyoshi just smiled as he seemed really pleased by Raska’s reaction. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have been killed because you can’t speak…” “Can we PLEASE just put the differences aside? Mwai is getting heavy,” groaned Aednat.
Jacob stared down at Lefu, “track.” Lefu sat and wagged her tail again. “Don’t just sit there…track!” Lefu gave a little bark and then continued. She moved away from the fence sniffing the ground and trees. We moved down a hill and made our way into a small forested valley. We continued for a while longer until we made our way to a small river. “Oh, great another dead end,” Aednat was growing angrier. “Now, what’re we going to do? That mutt tracked the creature to the middle of nowhere!” Jacob looked confused and frustrated as he stared down at Lefu. “What the hell is wrong with you girl? Why did you bring us here?” The
dog looked up at Jacob tongue lapping out the side of its mouth. I began to glance around the woods feeling the frustration that was being felt by everybody.
“Hey…everybody,” nobody seemed to pay me the slightest bit of attention. The group began to argue louder with every passing second. Through the thicket of trees and in a small clearing sat a large blue tarp covering a pile of mysterious wooden crates. Next to the tarp stood a large pole topped with what looked to be a green golf ball. “GUYS,” I shouted as loud as I could hearing their voices die. “Look,” I pointed to the lone object as I heard Raska behind me saying, “What the hell is that? Leave it alone…it could be a trap or an explosive!” Aednat pushed through everybody still dragging Mwai who now seemed to have fallen into unconsciousness like Nikki. She seemed to lead the group now and dropped Mwai near the object giving a great sigh of relief. She knelt and pulled from inside her boot a pistol. Giving it a loud CLICK, I watched as out popped little wings. I noticed that it was a mini-crossbow designed to look like a pistol. She motioned closer as I saw the black arrow with steel arrowhead shine slightly in the last remnants of the setting sun.
She held up her hand to keep everyone back. “It looks too big to be a bomb.” “What the hell is that stick right there?” Chris was pointing to the brown stick standing vertically next to the tarp. “Look,” I exclaimed as I motioned towards an envelope on the ground. It must have fallen off the crates. I picked up the envelope and began to open it. Aednat grabbed the edge of the blue tarp and pulled it off to reveal more wooden crates. “What…the…hell?” Aednat’s words seemed to sum up everybody’s feelings. I began to read the letter contained in the envelope and everything began to make sense. “Everyone listen to this!”
Hello Candidate / Candidates if you have found this supply dump it means you are on the outskirts of Pripyat. There are 15 supply drops scattered throughout the gamming area. It will be impossible for you to get them all. These dumps are designed to give you some time to recuperate hopefully gaining new strength to continue the Hunt. The stick before you will provide an eight-hour window free from any attacks. All you must do is break the ball and the stick will do the rest. Unfortunately for you this stick provides no protection against your bracelet engaging after the three days. Remember Candidates, there is only a couple distinct kinds of ammo provided in each dump. Unfortunately, not every Candidate is incorporated into each supply dump. So, enjoy the next eight hours of safety on us. When your time is up the stick will change colors. Hope you are enjoying the Hunt as much as we are! So, congratulations on finding this added perk.
“Eight hours…eight hours,” Chris came forward and snatched the note out of my hands with his one good arm. He read the note over again, “well, let’s pop the ball!” Hakeem was making his way towards the ball. I raised my Astra quickly towards him. “Don’t you dare pop that ball…not yet at least!” Everyone seemed shocked that I pulled my pistol out. “We are going to do what we should do.” Raska snarled as his fingers slowly inched towards his nearly empty AK hanging off his shoulder. “We should wait until night falls and then pop it. In the meantime, can we all agree that we should go through these crates and patch up anybody that is wounded?” “Well, well, well, look at the cream puff right here…thinking he’s big man! I could squash this boy like a melted marshmallow.”
I smirked superiorly at Raska and then at all of them. “I forgot how different the world is from the superior class.” I grabbed my gloves and tightened them on my hands continuing,
“What you fail to realize Mr. Raska is that…” “YOU, the superior class…” I ignored the wild eyed Mwai and continued at Raska who looked ready to start a war with me. “IS THAT Mr.
Raska, everybody and I do mean everybody has or eventually falls under the Sieg Heil!” Chris scoffed as he seemed to ignore the pain in his arm. “The Germans lost you idiot!” I smirked,
“why don’t we see what we are left with, and we can discuss all that…indeed, discuss it fully.”
“Check this out,” I watched the many eyes turn from me and make their way towards the wooden crates. “This…this looks like a timer,” pushing Raska away Aednat began to fumble with the small laptop. A screen was flashing as numbers began to flash sporadically until Aednat clarified it all. “It’s a bomb you moron!” Raska snarled at her as his bracelets rattled rhythmically. “And how do you know,” lowering himself down to examine everything, “doesn’t look like…” Aednat raised her hand and snarled at him, “really, have you really never heard of the RIRA?” Shaking his head viciously, “I could care less…”
Turning her head in frustration Aednat began to examine the laptop and the red and black wires that traced the boxes. “It’s rigged to all the crates. We have five minutes to answer the riddle on the screen and if we don’t…” “Oh shit, I knew it! I should have never gotten involved with white folk. Father always told me...” Raska continued rambling. I watched him grabbing his bracelets nervously as he clenched his AK to his chest. “Well, what the hell does it say?”
Making his way towards the laptop, I took a step back and watched. “Why the hell do you care white boy? These people have kidnapped us! Straight kidnapped us, so that riddle is probably so hard nobody could solve it!” I watched Chris smile as he smirked at Raska continuing to panic. “Maybe to your simple mind but to me it’s just another grade school question.” Raska
loosened his grip around his gun. “I don’t need to be smart enough to pull this trigger! I’ll waste the last of my ammo on you!” “ENOUGH,” Aednat yelled, “I can’t be mother to this group!
You better hope he can solve it because I can’t disarm it!”
“Nothing in life comes without price. True power is not where strength lies. Strength is found in the knowledge one has procured. With great knowledge comes great reward.”
RIDDLE
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221
Answer: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
“What the hell is that?” Raska looked shocked as he seemed to barge his way through the group. “My dear Raska a wise woman once said that the only interesting answers are those that destroy the questions. And I am about to slaughter this bitch!” I watched Chris beginning to type on the keyboard. “The numbers don’t make sense!” Aednat shook her head in utter confusion as she continued to read the riddle. “There’s no pattern, what the hell are you typing!
Wait, stop Chris that doesn’t make sense!” ‘It does, your pathetic little mind couldn’t grasp something like this. My mind could leave yours in the basement! A king to you…a god to the world, so you see my friends its…all…in…the…mind.”
The Campfire Tales
[Kiyoshi Fukudo Sugiura]
“I can’t believe we got cigarettes! Although, it’s a shame the whiskey isn’t Irish.” “Oh, please Aednat, we have two packs of cigarettes and a fifth of Canadian Mist. I can’t take anymore arguing let’s just enjoy what we got while we have it ok?” Chris finished with a shake of his head and a drag on the cigarette as silence filled the group. The minutes passed until Chris said softly, “I’m glad we popped that thing now. There was no way that we could have continued.” Jacob was sitting with his back on a tree inhaling a cigarette as if he was smoking the finest cigar Castro could provide. “Well, I told you didn’t I? I said tactically it was the worst move we could have made.” “We could have killed the creature, Anton.” “There you go Jacob…could have…COULD have is the reason that we are here right now.” Taking a swig of whiskey Raska laughed, “I’d love to know what type of combat this white boy has been in.
Probably daddy parting him from his check book!” The group laughed and even I cracked a smile. “My soldiers and I were in the Battle of the Compound against American SWAT and ATF. We thought we had found the blood heir to the Fourth Reich…turns out the guy we kidnapped wasn’t a match but still we lasted a whole…”
Aednat snatched the bottle from Raska and took a swig deciding to cut off Anton. “So, what’re we going to do with that big motherfucker Mwai?” Anton snorted at her interrupting him but fell silent immediately. Aednat passed the bottle to Hakeem. Chris took a drag from his cigarette with a shake of his head, “I don’t know. Thank God Nikki finally woke up though, one less person to drag. Hakeem don’t put your lips on that!” Hakeem’s eyes narrowed as Chris
watched his every movement. Hakeem tilted the bottle above his mouth letting it pour in slightly. He quickly screwed the cap on and handed it to the Russian. He was fiddling with his ankle as his socks were soaked with blood. Aednat gave him a disgusted look and then turned back to the rest of the group, “I don’t know Mwai doesn’t look like he is going to make it through the night. Listen to him over there!”
Mwai was rolling on the ground feet from the group. He was rolling clenching at his skin winching as his breathing had turned into a loud wheezing. “I have no idea what is wrong with him. He started all that moaning when we popped the ball.” She looked at everybody in the group. “He needs a doctor if he is going to live. Look at his stomach his veins are all black.”
Chris shook his head, “I have only ever seen dead veins like that on heroin addicts. Whatever is happening it’s in his blood stream now.” “Well, I am just going to keep him over there. Let’s go through the rest of these crates and see what we have to work with.”
The sun had disappeared from the sky and a weird greenish gas was being emanated from the stick. It surrounded us continually moving through the forest creating an invisible dome around our group. In the supply dump we found ammunition for some of our weapons, some food, ten blankets, huge first aid kit, and three gallons of water. As we all gathered around the fire, we began to converse and drink more.
“What do you think…Mind, is it? What do you think is going on?” Raska was smiling towards the bald-headed white boy. “You been bragging about your fucking mind since the moment I met you. Acting almost as smug as that other white boy over there.” Raska pointed to Anton who looked up from cleaning his boots. “Yeah, I’m looking at you,” I turned and saw Hakeem mutter, “racist shit!” Shaking his head Chris took the bottle, “you wouldn’t believe me
even if I told you.” “At this point white boy, I think I am willing to believe anything.” Raska’s jokes seemed to express the feeling of the other members of our group. Chris shook his head,
“no, I’m just a conspiracy nut and nobody wants to listen to those types of people.” “Well, we all don’t have any ideas anyway,” Aednat said snatching the bottle away and taking a swig.
Chris took a drag of his cigarette and moved closer towards the fire. “I can first go over what I already know, or what we should already know.” I watched him stare at every one of us before he continued, “We know that we are here for a game…a Hunt as that arrogant bitch said.
We know that we have supposedly three days to survive. From what I can guess this Hunt involves a lot of wagering and gambling…betting and odds.” “How do you know,” Aednat’s question was met with a smile. “Please Aednat with everything going on you don’t think there wouldn’t be betting. But here’s what confuses me is the connection. I’ve heard of some of you but there is no connection between us.” “How can you say that?” Aednat’s sweaty face was covered in matted red hair. She flung it back as her eyes went wide with suspicion. “I haven’t met any one of you before.”
I noticed how silent we all became even Yakov poked his head up. Unconcerned throughout the entire day he now appeared to find something interesting. Pointing to the cringing Mwai, “him I have no idea…but her.” His finger turned towards Nikki who was stabbing a stick into the fire. “Her I have read about…the Russian Black Widow. She has been all over the news.” Raska snarled, “She’s just another blonde bimbo.” Nikki gave a cold stare to Raska, “I shov u bonde bimbow!” Chris started shaking his head, “blonde bimbo or not she is a dangerous woman. You my friend you’re Lord’s Resistance, if anybody didn’t already know that. You were shouting it on the plane when I first met you, shouting it out here, and their colors are painted on your AK there. This other white fish that you don’t like, he’s a skinhead.”
Shooting up Anton straightened his dark gray uniform, “I am not a skinhead! I am Anton Koppe Supreme Group Leader and Colonel General of…” Every member of our group yelled in unison,
“SHUT UP!” Fixing his hat Anton gave a snide, “I’m just saying I’m not a skinhead is all!”
Returning to the giant log he had been sitting on. He straightened himself again before Chris continued. “As much as I hate to admit it, but I have read about you Anton. You’re not a dangerous man, but you are a despicable human being…even compared to us.”
Gazing over at Aednat next to him, “you’re obviously IRA.” Scoffing Aednat took a heavy drag of her cigarette. She swung her black scarf to the back “RIRA!” Shaking his head,
“whatever Irish, whatever.” Aednat pointed towards me cigarette between her two fingers, “and who do you think he is?” “I think he is Triad, but I only say that because that is the only one, I can think of. He’ll never admit to it though, look at his missing fingers.” I waved my hand at them, “what the fuck are you saying Chong? We don’t understand you!” Raska was snarling at me as Chris sniggered, “Raska he’s saying that he understands me. He’s not stupid.” Chris took another deep drag of his cigarette and continued with an exhale smoke. “Anyway, this guy Hakeem in the blue and red dreads here. I have no idea possibly Haitian. The colors in his dreads don’t mean anything or at least from what I can tell. He is a mystery. Yakov there has been in prison for a very long time.” It was Raska’s turn to laugh. He saw Jacob drop a little whiskey in a piece of metal shaped like a bowl. His emotion changed, “hey Dundee you’re wasting whiskey on that filthy beast? I should strike you down for that!” Jacob moved his hand towards his large knife, “you see this son? No matter how big or bad you think you are Raska.
Lefu and this knife are the tools to your salvation…and your destruction.”
Raska wiped his nose as he began to check his AK. “Lucky, I got stocked on some more ammo.” “What good is your ammo going to do for you my loudmouth friend when you’re
asleep? Lefu here is better than any motion detector anybody could provide.” Aednat growled
“alright guys, Raska will you shut up! If you aren’t going to contribute anything right now just shut up.” “Why are you sticking up for this white boy Irish? Why do you care what he thinks?
He even admits he’s guessing.” She turned to Chris and then back at Raska. “Because he solved the riddle, and the rest of you fools couldn’t. You said his nickname is ‘The Mind’. Which means…” “Which means NOTHING Irish! He could love to give brain!” The circle erupted in laughter as the bottle of whiskey was continually passed around. Even the white boy Chris gave a little smile at the very idea. “My IQ is 186 and I was going to receive a full scholarship to…”
Raising her hand towards Chris, “whatever just finish with what you’re thinking.” “I keep telling you all! Why won’t you all listen? I think we are dead, and that demon out there is judgment!” Raska snorted in mocking disbelief, “oh there goes Hakeem again! We are not dead alright you dirty mother…”
Chris was quick to cut him off, “like I said Yakov has been in prison for a long time…very long time.” “But how can you tell,” I watched Chris slightly laugh at Aednat. “Well, look at him…look at how fit he is for his age! The only reason could be is that working out is the only thing that he is able to do ALL day. Unless they gave him something or did something to him. If I knew his full name maybe I would know something more about him.” Aednat turned to him with a military stare. “Yakov what’s your whole name?” Yakov, who now held the whiskey bottle in his hand exclaimed, “what is the meaning of this? I mean, what is the point of all this? You want to understand Yakov? You want to cling to the knowledge of the American education system? In the end he’s just as blind as we are.” Chris gritted his teeth,
“look Yakov we’re trying to find a connection, and I can find one if you just give me your stupid name!” “Go to hell American,” Chris shook him off, “I don’t want to fight! I really don’t Raska
wears me out enough.” “What the hell did I do white fish? Just remember I still got unfinished business with you…never forget that!” Chris smiled as he pointed his finger at Jacob, “he’s an animal poacher and based on his African Wild Dog there I’d say South African.” “Is that what that is?” Aednat blew out a cloud of smoke as she stared at the creature lapping up the whiskey in its little makeshift bowl. “Yeah, but you can’t actually train those things!” Jacob smiled,
“Lefu here is probably the second smartest thing in this group.”
“You’re an idiot Jacob that thing will probably turn on you and us in middle of the night!” “Lefu here is going to keep you alive tonight Raska…and what about you baldy? I hear you talking about all of our backgrounds. Although, you haven’t said anything about yourself.”
“I would have said more if I wasn’t getting interrupted every two seconds!” I watched every pair of eyes move to him. “Well like I have said before. I am an Elder in Dead Man Inc. That’s all you need to know. But you see this is my point we’re all from different walks of life. The pieces of this puzzle don’t seem to make sense. I’m assuming that you guys had a man on a video that explained…” “He didn’t explain anything! He was just some arrogant guy that knew Hakeem. Also, we got to ask him one question.” Chris nodded, “yea we did too Irish. We asked him how to survive needless to say that arrogant prick said we couldn’t.”
Chris lowered his head as he seemed to be talking down into a whisper. “If I had to guess it would be that everything we were told was true. We have been brought here for something, a purpose. A purpose that they are calling a Hunt. Did you notice everywhere we have gone today was visible by cameras. Even now look around us…” I watched as many eyes wandered to the forest surrounding us. “That bastard on the video said that we are here for a Hunt. Well, a Hunt seems obvious, but the question that really gets me is who. Who would be capable of doing this?
Who would be capable of bringing all of us together?” I saw Jacob stroking his dog’s head completely uninterested.
“Hand me another cigarette will you Irish?” Aednat snorted at him as she tossed him a pack of cigarettes. “I don’t think you are ready for this.” Aednat grabbed his wrist, “I have sat here listening to you this entire time. I usually think of this stuff by myself, but I think I can speak for everyone when I say we’re all out of our league here. I think we all can be open-minded at this point.” “Speak for yourself Irish,” Aednat turned to Raska who was now loading bullets into the magazines that he had saved. He loaded a bullet with every word he spoke,
“I…don’t…let…women…speak…for…me.” Jacob added, “I am not out of my league. I’m just waiting for this smart-ass jail bird to finally realize he’s nothing but a dodo.” “Excuse me Jacob,” “you heard me a dodo!”
Shooting up in his spot, “you’re one to talk you lying sack of…” Aednat grabbed Chris’s wrist “we’ll get to that just ignore Jacob and go on for now. We need an idea of what’s going on, and you’re the only one that is providing us with one.” Chris lit the cigarette in the fire before returning to his rotten wooden log. “They are hunting us that much is clear.” Holding up her hand, “wait, wait, wait they aren’t the ones hunting us that creature is.” “Yes, that’s exactly my point Irish! Who would have the power to create such a creature…if they didn’t create it, who would have the power of controlling it? On the plane I noticed something…you know before they chained me up. I saw an All-Seeing Eye with a skull in the middle of the pupil.” “A skull in an eye, oh well that just wraps up everything in a little bow for us, doesn’t it?” Waving his hand mocking Chris Raska spilled several bullets. He finished with a “God damn it!” “If one of you has a better explanation of what is going on let’s hear it! It seems like you all want an idea, and I got one! Do any of you?”
Raska shook his head with a sarcastic, “go on, you keep going on! I’m sure we’re all going to unanimously agree with your theories anyway. After all, I don’t think anybody has any other ideas.” Taking a long drag of his cigarette Chris continued, “well except for Jacob there, but he will finally answer some questions I have in a minute. Moving on, how many of you know about the Illuminati?” The whole circle began to laugh as Jacob smacked the side of Lefu laughing jovially. “You hear that Lefu?” Lefu’s tongue hung out of her mouth. “We are here because of the Illuminati! Now why didn’t we think of that huh?” Chris waited until the laughing died. I even had to wipe my mouth on my suit coat to hide the smirk on my face. It took several minutes for the laughing to die down. “I’m not saying the Illuminati did this, bunch of conspiracy mumbo jumbo if you ask me. I do believe the people responsible for this…Hunt…game, whatever you want to call it must have a lot of money. And there is only one group of people with that kind of money. They have the power to make ten people and some of us are high profile too…” Chris pointed towards Nikki and continued “end up here. They are called the Bilderberg group.” “Bilderberg…Bilderberg, what the hell is that?” Raska shouted as Aednat shook her head with a little, “never heard of them.” Chris snorted in disbelief, “I don’t know how any of you have never heard of them! Don’t you read the news?” Everyone stared at each other with confusion on their faces.
“Where’s that bottle?” The bottle passed to me, and I took several swigs before I passed it onto Chris. Chris drunk heavily from it then continued, “The Bilderberg group is a group of the most influential and richest people in the world. They get together every year and discuss how to influence and shape the world. However, I don’t believe that the ACTUAL Bilderberg group is part of this. Well, this whole thing you know?” “So, you think that this Bilderberg group are the ones that brought us here?” Chris shook his head at Aednat, “no Irish that
symbol…that symbol within the eye. The skull in the middle is what makes it different. I believe it is a totally separate group like an offshoot and that is what I am stuck on.” “So, you’re saying it’s a bunch of rich ass people sitting around watching us like a…like a…tournament or something?” Chris nodded at Raska, “that’s exactly what I think it is. I think that explain a lot.”
“What about our memories then why can’t we remember everything or why did they even…”
Chris stopped Aednat mid-sentence, “I assume they kept us drugged the entire time for medical testing and to keep us physically fit. It makes sense if you think about it with all the money they’re going to wager.”
“So, if you think all of this is some rich people…betting on us like a sporting event.
What is the creature out there? Why can’t we kill it? Why won’t it die?” Chris sipped the whiskey bottle again before passing it to Yakov. “Well, I think for that Raska we should ask our poacher friend. I told you I had questions for you and now you’re going to answer them.” Jacob looked taken aback, “ME…just because I hunt animals doesn’t mean I know all the animals in the world.” Chris began to laugh as he wiped away the bit of whiskey that dripped from his lips.
“That’s funny Jacob and you’re a good liar I do admit that. The arrogant prick on that video thing said you had previous experience with the creature. You have been saying all day that he’s a liar. However, I saw that look. I saw your expression when you and the creature were face to face. I know that he wasn’t lying. You’re the one that is lying!” Jacob scoffed, “look, I didn’t give a look…” “You did, I saw it and so did Nikki!” “SO, WHAT, so what I gave a look whoop-de-do boy!”
Yakov passed the whiskey to Aednat who scowled, “Man I would kill for some Irish whiskey right now! Some Bushmills, Michael Collins, Greenore, hell I’d even take Jameson!”
“Alright Irish enough…Jacob you know what the creature is, ok? Now why don’t you just…”
“You insolent little shit! I have no idea what that creature is! How dare you call me a liar!”
“You know the creature Jacob so stop lying to the group! I saw your face when you stared at the creature. Why would the prick on that video say you had previous experience with it? He told the truth about EVERYTHING else except that! You know something!” Shaking his head, “I don’t know!” Chris yelled, “TELL US! You know what the creature is!” Yelling even louder,
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE CREATURE IS!” Everyone froze as they stared at Jacob red with rage. He lowered his head as he began to pet Lefu to calm her. “But yes, I have seen the creature before alright? It nearly killed me the first time.” “COME AGAIN,” Raska had sat up nearly spilling his bullets. “You have seen the creature before?”
Jacob nodded his head, “back in 92’, I was commissioned by the man on the video, Lord Otto.” “Woah, woah, woah, wait a second! You knew the man on the video? I though he was just…I don’t know patronizing you or something!” Shaking his head at Raska, he removed his Safari Hat with soft sigh. “His name is Lord Otto Wolffe Browne Beytout, and he has commissioned me for previous jobs.” Chris leaned forward, “So was I right about everything?”
Shrugging, “I don’t know boy…and that is the truth. Now do you want to hear this or not?”
Everyone grew silent as Jacob continued, “as I was saying. Lord Otto commissioned me for an assignment back in 92’. He said…he said that there was a creature. Well, an unknown creature terrorizing this village. Don’t ask what village because I can’t remember. I have been to many strange villages with strange names and it’s hard to keep track of them all. It was somewhere in Romania I know that. I don’t know what the creature was, but I do know this. It had both wolf and bear qualities.” I saw Chris furrow his brow, “both qualities?” Jacob nodded, “I shot it many times and it never died. It…couldn’t…die, wouldn’t die! I was told to capture it and bring it to a designated checkpoint. When I caught it, Lord Otto’s men came and loaded the creature
onto a truck. I was paid and flown back to South Africa. I never saw it again until Lord Otto brought me back to his villa. He told me that the creature had somehow escaped. I remember he offered me money. I remember tea. It must have been drugged. After that I woke up here and the rest is history.”
“Wait, wait Dundee you’re telling me you caught that big mother…” Raska was cut off by Jacob raising his voice again. “WELL obviously it wasn’t that big back then! It must have been the size of well, a lioness? Wouldn’t you say Lefu?” Lefu looked up at Jacob and tilted its head. “Oh, that’s right Lefu you weren’t even born yet!” Everyone seemed to stare at Jacob and how he spoke to Lefu. I even had to admit that it was unsettling. “So how did you catch it?”
Jacob gazed up from Lefu and stared at Aednat with an inquisitive look. “It’s not going to help us now!” Seeing her pressing look he growled slightly, “I caught it in a net and used a tranquilizer dart.” “So how did it almost kill you?” Jacob glared at Chris and growled even deeper, “what was I supposed to use for bait boy?”
“So that explains you then, Hakeem?” The dreaded man nearly fell off his log at being addressed by Chris. His eyes were wide and wild. He clearly had not expected to be contributing to the conversation. “Hakeem the man on the video…Ron Reid said that you knew him. How is that?” “He is a weak-minded man that only strives for…” “Yes, yes Hakeem, but how do you know him?” Hakeem stared at Aednat and paused before contemplating his response to her. “He acquired my services to help him reach his full potential. In return, he gave me amazing works of art.” “And what services did you…” “Such beautiful works of art, sculpted like goddess they were.” “HAKEEM,” Aednat’s shout seemed to bring Hakeem back to reality. His hands were outstretched as if he were reaching out to touch something. He lowered them with a stern, “he wanted power. He wanted respect. He needed my powders, my
magic…my help. And why wouldn’t he? I am the most famous and powerful Bokor that has ever existed!”
Raska curled his lip in disgust, “whatever he has is making him crazy.” Chris shook his head with comprehension evident in his eyes. “No, he is a priest in that stupid Voodoo crap!”
“CRAP,” shouted Hakeem his eyes wide again. Hakeem snatched the black pouch around his neck. “You see this here! In this pouch holds a liquid so powerful that you will become my slave! I have traveled to the other side and seen demons that you only have nightmares about. I have been to the darkest places on Earth and imprisoned in the worst prisons around the world. I have escaped them all…THEM ALL with the help from this pouch! One drop dulls the pain…two drops kill the pain…three drops, and you will go insane.”
Polishing his machine gun Anton quickly dropped it with a loud clatter “what did you say?” Hakeem and everybody turned to him, but Anton wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were focused on Hakeem. “Where did you learn that?” Hakeem straightened himself up, “my mother told me that?” Anton’s eyes narrowed, “do you know an Agwe, a Mother Agwe?” Scoffing,
“know her…she’s my bitch of an ex-wife!” Chris began to point between the two, “you know what he’s talking about Anton?” Anton wasn’t listening he was smiling, “you were married to her?” Hakeem’s face hardened, “I only married her to learn all her tricks!” “What the hell are you two talking about?” Chris was growing angry, but Anton just smiled serenely at him.
“Nothing, nothing we just know the same person. It’s nothing.” A mysterious look spread over Anton’s face as he picked up his machine gun beginning to polish it again. “Well Voodoo is for fools. So, let’s put all that stuff to the side because if we want answers, we need facts.”
“Voodoo is something you couldn’t possibly wrap your puny mind around!”
“So, Hakeem let me ask you this then if you’re all spiritual and worldly. What do you think the creature is?” “It is a demon, a creature from the other side. A creature born from the darkness and shadows…a creature from our nightmares.” Chris rolled his eyes, but Hakeem continued never pausing in his rambling. “It can never die and is here to test us. A test that we ALL will fail, and no living being can pass. It is a creature that has only been whispered about for hundreds of years. It is seen by only the unfortunate ones who dare to travel within its true domain…the night.” Hakeem finished with the fire still crackling loudly. The shadows danced over the trees and silence seemed to envelope everyone.
Everyone seemed to turn to Chris as he sat there in reveling in his own thoughts. He shook his head a couple of times and said, “I have an idea. It’s a little out there but since we are, well out there already I guess I will present it. We brought up the idea earlier.” I watched everyone seem to stare at each other. “You all wanted an idea, so this is my idea. I believe what we’re dealing with is…” He paused as he stared at everybody one final time. “I believe the creature out there is a werewolf…a true werewolf.”
It took several seconds until everybody started laughing except for Hakeem. “A werewolf,” Anton said as he seemed to laugh with such a superior tone. Chris waited until the laughing would stop but it never came to be. Even I was smiling as Raska began to snort in laughter, “You’re a funny man white boy…a very funny man!” Aednat seemed to have lost a little faith in Chris. “How can you expect us to take anything you have said seriously?” Chris stood up and I saw a fire was burning in his eyes as he stared at us all. “Laugh if you want but you wanted answers, and I am giving them to you! You’re an animal expert, right Jacob? Have you ever seen an animal take that many bullets and return after a mere hour or two with no wounds? Huh…tell me that!” Jacob ran his hand over his mustache, “well no, but its not a
werewolf. The creature is more bear like than wolf like!” Chris began to move around the fire ignoring Jacobs comment. “How can a creature take that many bullets and live? The only logical answer must be as our dirty teammate here claims it to be…a demon.”
Aednat sneered, “so you believe it’s a werewolf? Impossible they don’t exist. I don’t see a wolf either. I agree with Jacob I see more of a bear than a wolf. I think Nikki was right earlier.
I think it’s something like a…werebear or something!” “I assure you Aednat that creature out there is a Werewolf. I wouldn’t believe it myself, but you can’t spell impossible without possible.” Raska stood up, “werewolves don’t exist white boy, and neither do whatever werebears are! You said you were the smartest person here! Now I see you’re just a joke…a fool!” “Alright then Raska, what is it if not a werewolf!” Shaking his head, “I don’t know, but I could think of something better than a werewolf or a werebear!” Chris remained calm and repeated, “well, what is it?” Raska looked around the group and then back at Chris. “All I need to know is how to kill it and get out of here!”
“Exactly,” Chris said wagging his finger at him and repeated, “exactly! How does the creature keep coming back? We fill it with enough bullets to kill it a hundred times over and it still comes back. My guess is that because we aren’t using silver, we can’t truly kill it. It must just wander off somewhere and heal itself.” “Man, I wish I was back in Uganda. This is some crazy shit!”
“That brings me to another point Raska. Who here remembers how they got here?”
Nobody responded, “ok then what was the last thing that you all remember?” Nobody responded again, “well the last thing I remember before the plane was sleeping and the guards coming in and kidnapping me.” Aednat muttered, “I was being interrogated. I can’t remember anything
from it though.” Anton gave a small, “the last thing I remember is standing in my cell renewing my oath.” Hakeem muttered, “all I remember is having tea on a plane.” Raska rose from his leisure position, “I was taken! My whole company was slaughtered by the UPDF! Rosenberg came and hauled me off!”
I saw Chris furrow his brow and begin to rub his chin. His eyes narrowed as if he was deep in thought. “Mhm,” he said as he stared at the rest of the group. Silence once again enveloped around our campsite. His eyes focused on me, “and you, what was the last thing you remember?” I stared at everybody with the fire mirrored in their eyes. I reached down and wrote one word in the dirt, SOLD. “Sold, what the fuck does that mean?” Chris raised his hand to silence Raska as he asked, “who bought you?” He was my last target that I had been assigned and a name that I would never forget. I wrote in the dirt the name of my last master, Pascal Bolkestein. Chris read the name several times. “Are you sure?” I nodded and Chris seemed to accept it without a second glance.
Aednat seemed to grow interested in Chris’s thought process. “What’re you thinking?”
“Before I was being wheeled onto the plane, a man talked to me. His name was Conrad F.
Mansbridge. I knew him as well.” “So,” said Aednat, but Chris continued, “don’t you see Irish?
That Lord Otto guy called us Candidates. He also mentioned Sponsors. Who I believe are members of the group that brought us here. We were brought here by people that directly know us. These are the people that sponsored us. The only question is how do we survive the three days?” Aednat shook her head, “removing the bracelet is impossible. Even if we were able to get out of the area, they could still detonate them remotely.” Chris rubbed his chin again, “let me think on that for a bit.”
After an hour more of conversation it seemed that the group was divided between Chris’s idea of a werewolf or Nikki’s werebear. We all started to split off and go to separate parts of the clearing. It started with Aednat standing up and throwing her cigarette into the fire. “Well, I guess I better go check on Mwai.” I watched Nikki blankly staring at the fire. She had grown quiet since she had awoken from her unconscious state. I stared up through the trees gazing at the stars. They shone like diamonds twinkling in the dark night. The universe seemed so simple compared to the complications we were all facing. Despite the fact of working alone, I needed these people if I was going to survive. I think everybody believed that statement also.
I made my way from the fire taking one of the blankets that had been provided in the supply dump. I laid it down with a sigh. I saw that the only two people that were sitting around the campfire now were Nikki and Jacob. Her eyes were now set firmly on him with a look of seduction in them. I sat down on the blanket and watched Nikki moving closer to him. They began to talk in silent whispers. Jacob seemed to be drunkenly swaying and didn’t seem to notice her sexual advances. My attention turned to the other members of the group. Aednat and Chris were hovering over Mwai whispering to each other. “I don’t understand his wounds were all dark. The veins were all black like they were…” Chris finished her sentence, “dead?”
Aednat nodded as she traced her finger over Mwai’s wounds, “but look at them now, the wounds look…juicy.” “Well, I guess let’s patch him up the best we can and see how it goes tomorrow.
I’d say Irish we have about six hours left.” I removed my attention away from them and back to Nikki and Jacob. I felt my eyes widen as I stared at Nikki whose hand was being pushed away from Jacob’s inner thigh. I smiled as I heard Jacob beginning to grumble at her. I couldn’t believe someone that attractive would have been putting the moves on someone, so weather beaten.
I leaned back onto the blanket staring up at the stars again. It had been a long time since I had been able to stare up at them. Naryuki’s face came to me. I remembered lying with him staring up at the sky dreaming of a life away from it all. Finding a place where we could live together without hiding our love. I turned my head to see Nikki storming off clearly upset at being rejected. However, it was not her reaction that caught my attention, it was Yakov. He sat on his blanket staring at Nikki with a hunger that I had seen in Naryuki’s eyes so long ago. He seemed to lick his lips at her. He stared at the blonde who stumbled her way towards the tall grass carrying a large blanket.
He turned and saw that I was watching him. His lips curled into a snarl, and he gave a little growl laying down on his blanket. I watched him for a while but soon I felt my eyes growing tired. It was a rare feeling for me to feel tired and want to sleep. So, I decided to seize the moment. With the creature probably still out there, I knew I would need all the rest I could get. “What do you mean we don’t need somebody up?” Aednat was yelling at Chris who was holding up his hands. “You read the note we were told to get some rest. This is a game remember and every game has rules. This is one of them.” Jacob was swaying still, “you both…you both...can go get some sleep. Lefu here is the best night watch that you could ask for.” I drifted off to sleep to the arguing and knew it would be welcomed. “Well how do we know that you won’t slit our throats in the middle of the night?” “Irish that has to be the stupidest thing you have said! If I wanted you dead or any of us wanted each other dead we would have done it hours ago.” “Stop calling me Irish!” I heard Chris reply, “he’s right with a creature like that out there we need each other to survive. This is the safest position anybody can be in right now.” I missed my love and wished nothing but to feel his loving embrace. My master had sold me after all my years of loyalty. Pascal had said that he could eliminate my
debt. Just before sleep took over me, I imagined my fist pounding his face until it resembled nothing but American oatmeal.
Day 2
11/01/2005 - 8:00 a.m.
1. Jacob Harnett
2. Christopher Wentworth (INJURED) 3. Raska Ongwen
4. Nikki “Romanov” Dzhugashvili
5. Yakov Dzhugashvili (INJURED)
6. Mwai Njenga (INJURED)
7. Aednat McShane
8. Anton Koppe
9. Hakeem Rashard (INJURED)
10. Kiyoshi Sugiura