The Fourth Phase

FIVE

The chaotic sounds of the battle bounced around between the buildings as Boss raced towards the games room. He glanced left and right, searching for Variants, his Glock 17 held up like Ben had taught him. He reached the corner of the building and peered around it. A square of light shone on the ground in front of him. Shadows of figures danced in the open window. He peered through the darkness towards the front of the building. The constant gunfire was rattling him. He took some deep breaths and adjusted his new leg, trying to find a comfortable spot. It was throbbing after only a few moments. He should have grabbed his crutches; now was really not the time to test out his prosthetic. Boss looked once more at the window and went through the actions in his mind. He pushed off with his good leg and ran to the window. He knocked the gun against the glass and peered in. One of the figures turned and, seeing him, ran over. Boss mimed for her to open the window, but the girl looked back at him, terror plastered across her cherub face. She shook her head. Peering deeper into the room, he saw the blonde hair of Beth shining. He rapped louder on the window, praying she would hear.

Boss was struggling to come to terms with what was happening. After a month of peace and solitude, his world had come crashing down again. He thought he had left the monsters behind on that mountain. He had paid for his escape with his lower leg cruelly ripped away. If the chopper hadn’t arrived, and if courageous George hadn’t stabbed his little screwdriver into the Trophy King, he wouldn’t be standing here now. He needed to repay his life debt to George.

The rat-a-tat-tat of the machine guns reached him. Boss looked up and slammed his gun against the glass, cracking it. Beth turned at the noise and stared at Boss. Wide eyed, she nodded her head and grasped the shoulders of the children next to her.

A screech echoed out, and Boss turned to the noise. Three Variants scampered down the small alley, their reptilian eyes glowing in the night. Boss raised his gun, aiming for the head of the middle one. It glared back at him, as if daring him to fire. Boss squeezed the trigger. A black arc of gunk sprayed out behind it as the bullet tore through its skull. The other two Variants sprang off the ground in opposite directions. They used the buildings on either side like springboards and bounced off, leaping at Boss. He raised his Glock at one and got off a round, dropping it. Pain raced up his good leg as he was lifted off the ground and slammed into the building behind him. The children inside screamed. The Variant on top of Boss howled, and spat thick gobbets of sludgy goo onto him. He desperately tried to bring his gun up and fire it, but the Variant knocked it aside, howling.

The force of the blow stunned Boss, stars and colours swirled in his vision. Trying to focus, he looked into the eyes of the beast, waiting for its sucker mouth to latch onto him and tear at his flesh. He flicked his eyes towards the window of the games room, hoping to get a last glimpse of George so he could apologise for failing him. Boss furrowed his brow. The window was open. The Variant hissed at him and dug its claws under his shoulders to pull him away. Boss shut his eyes and waited for death. Then he heard a wet thumping sound, and opened his eyes. The creature on top of him stared past him, its eyes bulged out. It looked down at the jagged piece of timber spearing through its torso, before reaching up with clawed hands to grasp the spear. It let out a muted gurgle and blinked rapidly. With one last look at Boss, the Variant slumped to the ground, dead.

Beth stood to one side, looking down at the dead beast. She flicked her eyes to Boss, her mouth opening and closing. Boss pushed himself up and kicked out at it with his prosthetic. He knelt down and retrieved his Glock. Raising it, he put a round through its grotesque skull. Grinning, he looked at Beth. “Thanks. I thought I was a goner for sure.”

Beth stared down at the beast. “I killed it.”

Boss reached out and grasped her hand. “You sure did. C’mon. We have to get these kids to the bunker.” He turned back to the window, and saw George staring out at him. “G-man? C’mon, let’s go.” Balancing on his good leg, he reached up and lifted him out. The crushed shells on the path crunched under his feet. He handed Beth his Glock. “Cover us, just like Ben taught us. George, you keep watch up that way.” He pointed up the hill towards the villa. They both nodded.

He turned back to the open window and lifted out the remaining kids. His muscles strained with the exertion. The sweaty smell of fear permeated the smaller children. He got a few wafts of urine too as he lifted the two youngest down.

The gaggle of frightened kids huddled around Boss and Beth. Gunfire smoke hung in the air, the constant flashes and bangs strobing through the night like some crazy discotheque. He crouched down next to the kids. “All right. We’re going to run as fast as we can up this path to all those tents up there, okay?” He indicated the shell-strewn path he was talking about. A couple of the kids nodded at him. Boss did a quick head count. Five, including George. “Good. And then we are going to run for the bunker, just like we practiced, okay?”

He reached down and grabbed a couple of hands, then hobbled up the path. He turned his head slightly, checking to see if Beth was following. She pushed a few of the kids in front of her, and the little gang raced for the tents.

They ducked down behind the first tent just as a huge explosion boomed out around the bay. The concussion wave caused the tent to buffet like in a gale. Boss pulled the kids down, covering them with his body. Several of the children started to cry as his ears began to ring. Shaking his head, he hauled up a few of the kids, urging them on. He crawled behind the row of tents, hoping the thin nylon fabric hid their flight. At the last gap, Boss got a glimpse of the harbour. The luxury yacht was a raging ball of fire. He paused, stunned.

Someone had managed to fire an ATGM at the yacht. Variants writhing in flames leapt into the ocean. The remnants of the Army left on this outpost were fighting their “Gallipoli”. They were mowing Variants down in their dozens, but Boss could see more pouring out of the boats behind the burning yacht, filling the jetty with a rolling black wave. The machine gun nests and gun placements were fast becoming overrun by the Variant horde. Soldiers, mothers, fathers, and children were being torn apart. He could hear their terrified screams, even over the gunfire. Many of the adults had guns, and were doing their best to stem the flow of beasts tearing through the camp.

Boss looked at the old hotel, to where the bunker was. Ben had commandeered the old cellar and repurposed it. He had run the camp through drills, getting them to practice again and again. Children and the medical staff were to be evacuated, everyone else was expected to fight. Boss peered into the chaos. He could just see the stocky figure of Sergeant Haere moving guns into position to protect the bunker. Seeing this gave Boss new hope. He took some deep breaths and checked that his gun was loaded. He ran his hand around his belt, feeling for his extra magazine. This is just like a raid in WOW.

Turning to Beth, he caught her eye. “You lead them to the bunker, just like we practiced. I’ll bring up the rear with George, covering you. Run, and don’t look back.”

Beth grasped his hand. “Okay.”

He moved to one side and ferried Beth and the four kids in front of him. “Go!”

Boss pushed up, getting his good leg under him. But his new prosthetic caught on the ground and he stumbled and fell, landing heavily. George turned at the noise, glancing down to him. Boss waved him on, but George stopped and ran back to help Boss balance on his good leg while he adjusted his prosthetic. Bloody thing. He nestled his stump back into the leather cup and tightened the strap. Boss looked at the entrance of the bunker and saw the soldiers ushering the kids in. He let out a sigh of relief. Beth stood at the door, beckoning.

Screeches and howls tore through the night above the chaos. A group of a dozen Variants prowled into the gap, screeching and hissing at the retreating humans. Damn it! They were cut off. The soldiers at the bunker door pushed at Beth, but she spun out of their grasp and sprinted up the hill and into the bush. Beth, NO!

Sergeant Haere and the soldiers brought their rifles up and opened fire on the Variants. Haere turned and screamed at Boss, “Take George and go!”

Boss indicated that he understood. He grabbed George’s hand and hobbled up the path, heading for the Walsh Villa. If we’re going to survive, we need our go-bags and better weapons.