SODIUM:1 Harbinger (17 page)

I gripped the precious wood with two fingers of my broken hand as Bull pulled me to safety. The green fog spread out covering much of the creek bed and most of the embankment beside where the fallen demon lay. From 75’ we stood and watched as the remains seemed to evaporate into thin air, leaving no evidence that it had ever existed. Nothing was left except for the tell-tale barren circle from the green mist.

We made our way back out of the Woods Creek ravine and back up onto our recon ridge as quickly as we could. We would begin the planning for our next trap. We would also have to fortify our recon position against a potential attack as we planned for our next move.

As we climbed up the back side of our ridge we noticed a small opening in the rocks. We investigated further and it turned out to be a small cave that went back 25’. It had a chamber area that could comfortably hold several, but not all of us. The smell of the cave was acrid, but not intolerable. No doubt there had been some animal that had used it as shelter in the past. The cave was also close to our lookout point from where we observed Woods Ridge, the opening was too small for a demon to enter.

If need be at least two of us could use it to keep the demons at bay. But it would only work for a short period of time as we still required food and water to survive. Since the demons were machines we surmised that they would be able to sit outside and wait us out if so desired.

It then came to me that maybe the reason the one demon had pulled itself up to the mother ship was because it needed to refuel or recharge. It was an interesting thought, but we had no way of knowing for sure. It was deemed as something we would look for, but could not use against them until it was further understood.

Susi was given the task of observing the aliens while Bull, Allie and I planned our defense. Previously, there were two demons moving about their Basecamp. With only one showing itself and with five likely to have existed we would need to keep on the lookout for at least two more.

We stacked our heavy rock walls and cleared a few shrubs that would give us a better view back down the hill. We also stockpiled as many fist sized rocks as we could just in case we were left with no more ammo for our guns. Bull cut a dozen saplings and piled them up with the hope of making some crude arrows for his bow. With our immediate area somewhat secured and stockpiled, we left Susi to observe while we moved down to the creek. We needed to see if we could come up with more traps for the remaining demons.

We had been down at the creek for half an hour when Allie decided we should check on Susi. As we made our way back up towards the ridge-top Bull put out his hand in that now familiar “stop” gesture. As we listened we could here an occasional crack sound of rock hitting rock.

It was Susi and the demons were after her! She had turned and looked back down towards us and had spotted a demon heading our way. She then moved over to the cave entrance and picked up and threw one of the small rocks down at it.

When she had its attention she darted into the cave opening and hid back in the chamber area. The demon had rushed up the hill and was now attempting to kill or disarm her by throwing rocks into her hiding place. The rocks would bounce around inside, but Susi’s position kept her safe from being hit.

We approached as quietly as we could and the demon’s focus had remained on Susi. Bull then aimed and fired his .45, winging the demon and spinning it around in the process. The demon then ducked behind our defensive wall as it evaluated its situation.

With the loud noise from Bull’s cannon and the fact that no more rocks were coming into the cave Susi decided it was time to make a move. She came back up to the cave opening directly behind the demon and opened fire with Kyle’s 9mm, pumping round after round into the beast’s body.

The demon sprang upward in an attempt to move out of her line of fire and was immediately met with a barrage from Bull and Allie. As more and more holes formed in the demon’s body it twisted from side to side. Bull and Allie had each emptied a full clip into the machine before it finally slumped over the rock wall we had constructed.

After a moment of silence we all knew what was coming next and Bull yelled at Susi to get out of the cave. But… it was too late. The alien quickly fogged the area with the green mist, leaving Susi with no choice but to move back into the cave.

Bull, Allie and I then retreated downhill as the green fog came rolling after us. We then turned and headed to our left until we were sure the fog had passed us by. As with each of the times before, we would have to wait ten or 15 minutes for it to dissipate, before we could return.

It was agonizing as the thought of my sister being slowly dissolved by the fog kept running through my head. Why had we left her alone? Why did we not try to lure it away so that she could escape? As soon as I was able, I rushed back up the hill to the cave mouth and called out her name.

I sighed with relief when she came out still complete, still breathing and still my sister. It would be difficult for me to leave her immediate side now without wondering if she was OK. She had defended herself well, but at the moment I was too much on edge to let it go.

With the third demonic machine destroyed it was time for us to pack up our camp and move as we were sure the aliens now knew our location. With two of them still out there we would need to keep our position unknown if we wanted to maintain one of our only advantages. So, we talked about where we might go as we gathered up our packs.

It was soon decided that we would first move down to the position where I had been hiding at the beginnings of Woods Creek. It was where I had lured the second demon into our trap. We would then make our way around Woods Ridge itself looking for a new point for observation of the aliens.

As we hiked down the hill, I repeatedly looked back to make sure we were not being followed. We had survived another encounter with the demons and we continued to come out on top. It was encouraging, but the engagements continued to take their physical toll on us. We at least had lived to fight another battle and that was what war was all about. The demons might be faster and have more advanced technology, but we had our guts, guns and brains. And so far, those had seemed to be a winning combination.

Chapter 13

As we moved through the woods I reminded Bull of the trap that I had run into on the other side of the ridge during my attempt at recon. Had I not been lucky, I would have surely been crushed to death by the prearranged rock-slide. We slowed our pace and began a thorough search as we moved along. If we could locate one of the demon’s traps perhaps we could figure out a way to use it against them. We were open to all possibilities.

The next large gully that we came to was rigged. We had to go down into it and then up and out the other side to get to where we were heading. The tripwire was well camouflaged, but we knew what we were looking for and found it in time to prevent its trigger.

We would have to make use of our ropes as the sides of the gully were too deep to simply climb into and out of. That was just as the other gully which made it the perfect spot for the rock-slide trap. There would be no way out once the trap was sprung. You could not outrun the big round boulders in the rough, steep terrain.

Once in the gully Bull retrieved the rope we had climbed down with and set about rigging it so that we could climb out the other side. We carefully stepped over the wire one by one and then each made our climb out. I struggled with my broken hand, but was able to make the climb with a bit of Bull’s help.

After another hundred yards we were due southeast of Woods Ridge summit and approaching a smaller ridge that was again only a 100’ below it in elevation. It was also heavily wooded, it offered good cover.

We dropped our packs and again planned out and implemented our defense. Once again our position was a 1000’ away from the alien base. From the new point we could just see the edge of the mother ship. It was protected on two sides by large rocky outcroppings and partially nestled under some large trees to keep it hidden from above.

As the others began stacking up a new defensive rock wall I made my way back to the gully. I sat for several minutes working out a strategy for how I might use the gully against them. I reasoned that if I could lure one in by the rock pile I might be able to set the trap off from further down.

As I thought about it, my mind wondered back to when Bull and I were teens, when he was still interested in joining the Army for WWII. At the time I had decided that I would be joining with him… if the Army would have me. We had set up a fairly decent obstacle course to train, if we did get called into service we would hopefully be in decent shape.

One of my contributions to the course had been a rope tied to a thick tree branch next to a steep bank. You would have to run full speed at the rope. If you came in at the proper angle, then grabbed it and then contorted your body just right you would swing around the tree and up and onto the top of the bank.

Bull had quickly mastered the skill, but my best showing had been to grab a root protruding from the top of the bank and then to pull myself up the rest of the way. My usual attempt left me just short where I would slam into the side of the bank and slide back down. It had been just one more thing that I had blamed on my height disadvantage.

With the rope swing being my only idea I decided to set it up as close to what I had done, so many years before. If I had to use it I hoped that maybe my increased weight and a downhill run would be the trick needed to propel me up and out of the deep gully. It was all I had, but at least it was something.

I found a good stable tree that would offer a similar setup and after rigging my escape rope I made my way back to the others. I immediately told Bull of my idea and he gave me one of those looks with a half-smile and his head cocked to one side. I was sure the picture in his head was of me slamming into the bank and then sliding back down just before being crushed by the rolling boulders. I brushed off his skeptical look as the image in my own mind had been one of a narrow but heroic escape.

With our defensive position once again set up we turned our observance back towards the alien base. Through the remainder of the afternoon we had only seen the one damaged demon and the mother ship. I wondered if there was still another one lurking about looking for us. All I could do was guess.

As the sun began to once again set we talked about how we might take on the remaining enemies. Divide and conquer was still our best strategy. But we needed to know where the other demon was, if it existed at all.

The damaged demon had continued its routine of processing samples and then carrying them around and stacking them beside the mother ship. There was not much left in the pile of animal bones and other items around the front side of the camp. It made us wonder if their information gathering mission was coming to an end. We would have to make our final move before they made an attempt at a getaway. We stayed up most of the night going over what we might do.

It was decided that Bull, Allie and Susi would lie in wait around the east side of the ridge for the damaged demon while I took up position in my previous recon spot amongst the shrubs, just below the mother ship. It would be my job to distract the mother ship, if need be, once their gun battle with the damaged demon began.

If the mother ship made a move I was to make it aware of my position and then high-tail it out of there. With luck we would be able to once again reduce their numbers by taking out the damaged demon. If successful we would then make plans for our assault on the mother ship.

The one thing haunting us was the prospect that one other demon was likely still out there and unaccounted for. Where was it? What might it be doing? Was it observing us at that moment? We had no way of knowing. All we could do was to move forward with our best assumptions to each of those questions.

At first light we once again broke camp with Bull, Allie and Susi working their way northeast while I went in a roundabout northwesterly direction. It took me 45 minutes to get into position. The mother ship was still in its previous routine with the rotating eyes coming around every 15 seconds.

Scott was tied to the same tree although he looked to be unconscious. I didn’t see either of the demons moving about so I guessed the damaged one was probably on the other side of the ridge. I watched for 15 minutes ducking my head back down every 15 seconds for the first few before finally deciding on just sitting and listening for the beginning of the action.

I had taken Bull’s binoculars and had used them to get a better look at the supposed severed hand. I was elated to discover that it was some other skinned animal parts. It meant that Kyle may still be out there somewhere and he might just be alive. It was a good feeling to once again have hope.

As I continued my observance of the mother ship I next heard a small buzzing sound and poked my head up just enough to see what was happening. The mother ship had stopped rotating its eyes and they were now fixated on the damaged demon standing before it. A moment later a second demon emerged from behind the mother ship as it released itself from its dome shaped cutout.

The second demon looked very different as it had a red body and some type of protrusions coming from its top that gave the appearance of multiple short antennas. I wondered if it was some sort of communications array. And, I was not liking the ominous red color.

I wanted to alert the others, but I had no way to do so. What if both demons made their way around to the other side and the others were discovered? If they were captured or killed the only avenue left open to me would be to try to make it over to Cherry Lake Dam and to alert the world.

What if the demons decided to leave while I was gone and what if they took my friends and family with them? My blood pressure began to go sky high as the two demons turned and began walking towards the others.

I was just about to spring up and give away my position by firing Susi’s .22 at them when the red one stopped and turned in front of Scott. As the damaged demon continued its walk the red demon began to poke and prod Scott in an effort to wake him, or to check that he was still living, I could not be sure of which.