Beneath the Veil (14 page)

“Bobby, you crazy bastard!” Doc yelled. He raised his rifle and shot a creature in the back of the neck. This time it went down and stayed down. “Aim for the back of their necks!”

The creatures were all facing away from them following Bobby. They began to fire and the beasts fell one after another. Bobby fired three more blasts, using up the last of his shells. He tried to run, but one of the creatures knocked him to the ground. Sully jumped from the porch, firing his pistol as he ran. He reached Bobby and put the gun to the back of the creature’s neck and fired. Bobby frantically wiped his face trying to clear blood splatter from his eyes.

A creature jumped on Sully, biting him on the throat. He whirled around trying to free himself, then dropped his revolver when another tore into his arm. Bobby scrambled for the gun and shot one of the beasts. It fell back, impaled on a stake. He then placed a precise shot to the back of the second creature’s neck and it collapsed on the ground. Sully fell to his knees covered in his own blood.

“Don’t let em take me, Bobby. I ain’t going out like that.”

Shots rang out around them as the others held their attackers at bay. Bobby grabbed Sully and dragged him towards the porch, firing at anything that moved. He reached an impasse and couldn’t get Sully over the barricades.

“Hang on. I need to git us some help.”

He handed Sully the pistol and ran back to the porch while the others fired wildly at another flock of creatures emerging from the forest.

“I need help gettin’ Sully back.”

“I’ll go.” Jimmy stood and pulled a pistol from the pocket of his jacket.

They ran from the porch and found Sully struggling with three creatures.

“No!” Bobby screamed.

When they got to him, he was already dead with injured creatures writhing on the ground near his body. Bobby plunged his knife into each creature’s neck until it stopped moving. He then ran to the woods and dispatched injured creatures while Jimmy covered him with rifle fire. Whenever one fell, Bobby’s blade was there to finish it off. Before long, the assault was over and dead creatures covered the ground, close to fifty in all. Rays of sunlight peaked through the mountains as Willow walked among the bodies checking for survivors.

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“T
hat oughta do it,” Jimmy said.

They tossed the last creature’s body onto a bonfire, stepped back and removed handkerchiefs wrapping their faces. It had taken three trips to move all the bodies. The location was good with plenty of kindling and far enough away that the smoke wouldn’t drift back to the cabin. Earlier that morning, they buried Sully’s body and marked his grave with a pile of rocks. Doc said a few words but kept it short, as Sully wasn’t one for ceremony. Bobby and Jackson leaned against the fender of the flatbed drinking water from a canteen.

“So that’s it,” Jackson said. “What now? How many of those things do you think are left?”

“According to the girl, there’s no more than fifty,” Doc answered.

“We can handle another fifty,” Bobby said, taking a drag from a cigarette.

“Fifty plus them other two,” Jimmy said. “Don’t forget Ezra and Evangeline.”

Doc climbed behind the wheel of the truck while Jimmy and Bobby climbed on the back, careful to avoid the drying blood on its wooden planks. Jackson slid in the passenger side and they drove back in silence. They knew the hiding was over for them and it was time to make a stand. Doc turned onto the narrow dirt road that led to the cabin. Wild grasses grew in patches on the road and a creek trickled nearby. When they pulled to a stop, Marie was busy sweeping the porch.

“Hey,” she said with a wave. “We’re out of milk for the children. Any chance you could go back to the camp and milk the cows? They’re probably due for it anyhow.”

“Sure, Marie,” Doc replied. “Let us get cleaned up and we’ll go over.”

“Thanks.” Five years ago, Marie and her children were trapped in Auraria during a road trip. The creatures ambushed their van, attacked her husband and took him away. She and the children hid in the woods until daybreak and by chance, Doc and the others happened upon them and brought them to safety.

Nearby, Willow picked wildflowers with Jen and the children. They were frightened of her at first, but soon accepted the way she looked. It had been a lifetime since she enjoyed a carefree day like this one. She looked fondly at the children and remembered her own siblings lost so long ago.

“Alright guys, I think we have enough.” Jen held a large bunch of flowers. “Let’s get back and have some lunch.”

The kids walked beside her with Willow moving silently behind them.

“Is everything okay?” Tonya slowed to walk next to her.

“Oh, yes. Thank you for walking with me. I think the others are still a little frightened.”

Jackson waved when he saw them in the field of chest high goldenrod.

“Hey there,” Jen said. She reached the porch and gave him a kiss.

“How’s the babysitting going?”

“Good. How’d you make out?”

“No problems,” he answered. “I just need to get cleaned up.”

“Yes, you do.” She looked at his filthy clothes. “We need to soak those in the creek.”

“Bobby said he had some extra clothes stored inside. Let me go see what I can find.”

Jimmy walked up with a backpack over his shoulder and a rifle in his hand.

“Will you folks be alright for a couple of hours?”

“Sure, what’s up?” Jackson asked.

“We’re heading to the quarry to pick up supplies.”

“You need me?” Jackson asked.

“Nah, we got it. It’s better if you stay here.”

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T
he surface of the water in the quarry was covered with a fuel slick and dead fish. The livestock was gone, the crops burned, and the storage buildings emptied.

“Hell, if this don’t beat all,” Bobby said. He stood on the rim of the quarry next to Doc and Jimmy. “There ain’t nothin’ left for us here now.”

“There’s one last thing to do,” Doc said. “Help me fetch Owen’s body so we can give him a proper burial.”

After finishing the unpleasant task of retrieving Owen Bigsby’s corpse from the mine, they loaded it on to the back of the truck, then huddled inside with the windows closed.

“No disrespect to old Owen, but he sure looks like hell,” Jimmy said.

Bobby turned and looked out the truck’s rear window. “Hell couldn’t look that bad.”

Doc glanced out the rearview mirror as they drove away from the quarry. The camp had been a home to them for decades and now it was truly gone.

“What’s the plan, Doc?” Jimmy asked.

“We need to finish off the rest of those things. While we still can.”

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A
fire burned in the fireplace warming the cabin as nighttime approached. The survivors gathered for a meal of canned vegetables and creek water.

“Tonight the three of us will be at the plantation for the feast.” Doc gestured at Jimmy and Bobby. “It’s the best time to ambush those things. Jackson, you stay back in case any of them show up here.”

Willow moved towards Doc with her translucent skin shimmering in the firelight. “I can help you. I know places to hide in the mansion.”

He thought for a moment, and then answered. “Yes that would be good.” The girl had proven herself to be genuine and earned his trust. “Jimmy, Bobby let’s arm up. We’ll take the Rover.”

Outside, the men untied the ammo trunk from the back of the flatbed, careful not to disturb Owen’s body. Doc grabbed two canteens and placed them inside the cab. They drove down the mountain with the last traces of sunlight filtering through a dense forest of hemlock trees.

When they reached the crossroads, Doc looked over at Jimmy. “Take a left.”

“No,” Willow countered. “Go straight. Things have changed.”

Jimmy looked at Doc for confirmation. “Straight it is,” Doc said.

The girl was correct. Jimmy found the entrance to the plantation and steered the truck onto the gravel drive where the mansion came into view.

“What if someone’s here?” Bobby asked.

“They won’t be,” Willow said. “They all return to the remains of their homes during the day. I don’t know why. I guess it makes them feel like they used to feel.”

“And you’re sure Evangeline and Ezra will be gone?” Doc looked at the specter of Willow in the rearview mirror.

“Yes. I am sure. They go to ground everyday.”

“Good,” Bobby said. “We can get in there, set up shop and then mow them things down.”

Jimmy pulled the Rover near the front door of the great house. Bobby hopped out the back and helped Doc pull the trunk onto the ground. It was heavy and fully loaded with ammunition. They unpacked the guns and tied them on top, while Willow went to the house and peeked in the windows.

“It looks empty,” she said.

“I’m gonna hide the truck over there,” Jimmy said, pointing towards a stand of trees south of the house.

“Alright, we’ll get the gear inside,” Doc replied.

Bobby and Doc grabbed the handles of the trunk and carried it into the foyer of the mansion. The walls were covered with vines and broken furniture was scattered around the room. The ornate staircase sagged with gold leaf peeling from its balusters.

“Damn, this place is a shit hole.” Bobby stood in the center of the room surrounded by decayed opulence.

“It changes at night,” Willow said. “Everything does.”

Doc walked over to a torn portrait of a woman with long dark hair and an intense gaze. A man painted behind the woman stared up at her.

“That’s them,” Willow said.

Bobby joined Doc and looked up at the frightening image.

“Got it hidden pretty well,” Jimmy’s voice broke the silence in the room startling both men.

“Dammit to hell, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” Bobby said.

Doc was equally shocked, but laughed it off. “You took a few years off my life as well.”

You boys figured out your vantage point yet?”

‘No, we was waitin’ on you, Jimmy.” Bobby shot a last glance at the painting.

“Follow me,” Willow said.

The men followed her into a study. The room was intact with its walls covered in empty bookshelves.

“Right here,” she said, pointing at a wooden wall panel.

Doc walked forward and pushed on the panel which spun inwards. Behind it was a metal spiral staircase twisting up into the dark. He found a candle melted onto an old desk, lit it and entered the opening.

“It goes to the attic,” Willow said.” I don’t think anyone knows about this entrance.”

“You boys wait here a minute. We’ll go up and check it out.” Doc started up the stairs after Willow.

“Alright, Doc.”

After a few minutes, Doc called down to them.

“Come on up, fellas.”

The two men walked into the passage, closing the wall behind them. They picked up the trunk and started struggling up the staircase in the dim light of a lantern. When they reached the first landing, they found Doc and Willow near an octagonal window that overlooked the veranda.

“Good place to take a shot, Jimmy,” Doc said.

Jimmy lowered his end of the trunk and walked over to the window.

“Looks real good,” he agreed.

“There’s another just like it one floor above us,” Doc said. “Above that’s the attic which has plenty of windows.”

“Like shootin’ fish in a barrel,” Bobby added.

“Except if you miss the fish, they eat you,” Jimmy responded.

“Jimmy, you want to take this level?” Doc asked. “I can take the middle. Bobby’s the best shot, he should be higher up in the attic. Might be good if we put the ammo trunk with me in between.”

“Fine by me,” Bobby agreed.

“Me too,” Jimmy added.

They place their weapons in position at each level of the house and then dragged the ammo trunk to the middle level. Doc sat on it when everything was in place.

“You boys have the added responsibility of guarding your flanks. Jimmy, if anything comes up your way, we’ll make our escape up and through the attic. Bobby, same goes for you. If they start coming through the attic, we pull back and come down through here. Figuring no one knows about the lower entrance, they’ll probably come from above. That’s when we use these.” Doc held up two bottles filled with a clear liquid. Each bottle had a cloth fuse stuffed into its neck. He looked at the wooden timbers supporting the structure. “This place oughta go up pretty quick.”

Then we take a straight shot out the front door,” Jimmy added. “And get the hell out of here.”

“Exactly,” Doc replied. “Sounds like we got our bases covered.”

Willow stepped towards the men. “I can watch the main stairs to the attic.”

“Good, Willow,” Doc replied. “Let us know if anyone or anything comes up those stairs.”

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N
ight came as the men peered out from their perches and the house changed around them. Holes in the ceilings and walls closed and broken windows repaired themselves. It happened quickly with a barely perceptible power coursing through the mansion. Doc zipped up his jacket and rubbed his hands together to warm them. Creatures began to move onto the veranda two stories below. It was time. He opened the window, adjusted his scope, and found his first target.