tinyxipe
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Desperate Measures
Chapter IX
_______________________________________________________
Kat pressed her eye firmly against the chink in the wall. The windowpane rattled alarmingly above her head. She could make out the three-legged shadow of a looming creature moving up the street. The rest of the team huddled against the wall, waiting for the passing of the behemoth. She resisted the temptation to stand and look out the window, though she found that by sitting back on her heels and looking up she had a view of the comparatively small body as it swayed past. She quickly jammed her face back into the small opening to watch the movement pattern of the three legs.
Without thinking, she suddenly heard herself say, “What is that thing?” There was a prolonged silence and she could feel four sets of eyes on her back. A warm flush crept up into her cheeks.
Nolan finally answered as though speaking to an exceptionally slow child, “That…was a s-t-r-i-d-e-r.” The glow of embarrassment faded a bit as she looked over her shoulder and saw his mischievous grin. Elena and Mikhail stared, but didn’t seem surprised at her strange question. Barney, she imagined, had told the others about her odd fascinations.
“I know that,” she replied, resisting the urge to grin back. Nolan, Barney, Amina; they all could have been good friends, but it was safer keeping everyone at arms length. “What is it though? Is it mechanical or biological?”
“It’s synth technology,” answered Barney. “They’ve created weapons from other civilizations using mechanics and genetic engineering, so I guess it’s both. We don’t really understand it completely and I don’t have time to explain what we do know. We need to get a look at the perimeter before another patrol comes by.” The small team of rebels stood and returned to the rear of the deteriorating apartment building.
The small back lobby was filled with boxes and old furniture, as though the former inhabitants had expected to move their belongings to new homes. Kat tried not to see the details of the remains as she walked past to the alley; lovingly packed boxes of books and knickknacks, skeletal houseplants, shrouded paintings, all symbols of lives once lived in a safe cocoon of normalcy. She felt an odd relief getting away from the once everyday items.
Coming out of the alley, the decaying boulevard stretched out ahead of them as they carefully picked their way through the lengthening shadows. Broken windowpanes glittered sharply in the glow of the evening sun. The only sign of life in the abandoned city outskirts was a pitifully thin cat, skulking furtively towards them. It dropped into a crouch as it became aware of the intruders, frozen in shock. In the blink of an eye, it turned tail and disappeared into a gaping doorway.
Barney, leading the group, came to a halt. He pulled a small pair of binoculars out of a pocket and examined the street ahead as the team huddled in the shadows. They were in sight of the outer perimeter of the city. Black, segmented walls loomed over the moldering buildings. Nolan crept up from behind and passed Kat. “What’s going on?” he hissed to Barney. “You see something?”
Barney continued to study the perimeter. “I don’t…know…” He fell silent for a moment then lowered the binoculars and tucked them back into his vest. He turned to the back to the team.
“There’s some activity down there. More than there should be. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” He turned and quickly moved down the street.
“Come on. Let’s get out of sight,” said Elena. Kat followed the three others back into the dark alleyway. They stood against the walls in silence. Nolan was surprisingly still; his focus on the mission calming his usual fidgety manner. He had earlier admitted to Kat that this would be his first time out of the city since the arrival of the Combine forces and he seemed to be a bit apprehensive.
Elena crouched against the wall, pulling a hand-drawn map from her pocket. She studied it intently, mumbling softly to herself. She would have been a striking beauty but for the large scar that marred her right cheek and jaw, pulling her mouth into a perpetual smirk. Elena, though, seemed to wear it as a badge of honor. Mikhail simply stood impassively, staring at the bricks in the wall, waiting.
Footsteps approached the alley and Barney jogged around the corner, looking concerned. “Something’s going on. It looks like they’re doing some sort of training exercise down there. I thought you checked on this area Nolan.”
“I did!” Nolan protested indignantly. “There wasn’t anything on the schedule…”
“Well, something’s going on now. We’re going to have to take an alternate route. I think we can…” He trailed off, listening. There was a rhythmic pounding sound in the distance.
Mikhail grabbed his pack. “Strider’s back,” he announced flatly. “Let’s go.”
Everyone snapped into motion, gathering packs and gear. “Which way, Barney?” Elena asked. “We can’t go north. We would have to cross the highway.”
The team jogged down the dark alley. “I know, but if they’ve increased the patrols around the perimeter the aqueduct is probably the only option.”
“Not much of one,” Elena muttered. They continued on, weaving through the maze of residential alleyways and side streets.
Further north, the residential areas gave way to a small commercial district and then quickly turned into a series of light industrial and office parks bordering the highway. At several points they heard the moans of nearby zombies, attracted by their passage. Generally such wretches were put out of their misery, both out of pity and for safety, but the rebels simply slipped past, unwilling to risk the sound of gunfire.
As they walked down a narrow corridor between two warehouses, an unearthly wail broke the deepening twilight. “Oh no,” Nolan moaned. “Runners.”
Kat had heard people speak of runners and Barney had filled her in on what to expect if they encountered any in the city. A new type of zombie created by Combine engineered headcrabs, they were fast, agile and very dangerous. The team scattered to the sides of the shelterless corridor. A dark, crouched figure sped past the far end of the alleyway.
“They’re on both sides,” Elena announced. “Watch out behind.”
Kat flicked the safety off her MP-7 and dropped to one knee. Rabbits. Just like hunting rabbits. Rabbits just don’t run at you, that’s all. There was the sound of something running and snarling behind her and someone fired a short burst. Instinct screamed at her to turn around, but she kept her eyes fixed on the other end, trusting her companions to protect her back. Another burst of gunfire was followed by the sound of a body hitting the pavement.
Kat wrenched her attention back to the front as two more creatures rounded the corner and charged towards them. She was horrified to see they looked like flayed humans running on all fours. Mikhail, on the opposite side, simply said, “Take the left.”
Steadying herself against the wall, she took aim and fired at the beast running up her side of the corridor. Her shot caught it in the shoulder and it staggered into the wall. In a small corner of her consciousness, she was aware of gunfire and the sharp, guttural voices of the runners all around. The second burst hit the creature square in the head. A headcrab fell off with a thin cry and the zombie collapsed limply to the ground.
“Look out!” someone shouted, just as Kat became aware of a rattling above her head. Another runner dropped from the rooftop directly in front of her. She leaped up and backpedaled wildly, raising her weapon. It swiped at her as she desperately squeezed the trigger. Bullets tore through the sinewy arm and gaping chest, slowing the creature only slightly. Time slowed to a syrupy crawl as the backward momentum of her upper body outreached the speed of her feet. She knew was going to fall.
Still holding down the trigger, she tried vainly to train her shots on the head as she inexorably pitched backwards. Every detail of the runners razor-sharp claws were exquisitely seared into her awareness as her hip slammed into the pavement. As it launched itself for the kill, a blast of gunfire ripped through it’s head. Kat collapsed completely onto her back as the lifeless body fell across her legs.
She lay there on her back for a moment as her heart lurched around in her chest, her only coherent thought being that it was now dark enough to see the stars. Someone was running towards her, shouting something and a weight was being pulled off her legs. A wave of adrenaline abruptly hit and she rolled over and up onto her hands and knees, certain that she was going to vomit. She crouched there for a moment, shaking and gulping for air.
Barney was suddenly in front of her face, hand on her shoulder, “Kat! Are you okay? Did it hit you?” She stared at him blankly for a second and sat back against the wall.
“No…I don’t think so,” she replied, looking stupidly down at her abdomen. She laughed weakly when she saw her stomach in one piece. “I guess I would know if it hit me, huh?”
“Yeah, they pack quite a punch. Do you need a second to catch your breath? We just alerted any patrols in the area, so we can’t stay long.”
“I’m alright.” She tried to stand, but only succeeded in stumbling sideways like a newborn fawn. Barney helped her up and she leaned back against the wall, still shaking slightly. “Okay, maybe just one second.”
“Here, give me your gun.” She handed it over and he inspected and reloaded it as the rest of the group came over to check on her. As Elena helped her readjust her pack, she noted that there were six ragged bodies scattered along the corridor.
Elena noticed her observations and patted her shoulder, “That was a lucky fall. You got your head out of the way just in time.” Kat just nodded silently, swallowing with a dry click. Lucky. I’m not sure I can handle any more luck like that. She collected her weapon from Barney and followed the group down the dark corridor.
* * *
Sliding down the north side of the highway embankment, the team of rebels entered an open field. Ahead lay the aqueduct that once supplied the city with water from the foothills. At this time of year it was a nearly dry stream, flowing sluggishly through steep concrete banks. To the west, the man-made riverbed emerged from beneath several roadways and building complexes at the edge of the city.
“It’s a little over a mile through that tunnel,” Elena said as she looked over her map with a small penlight. “Do you think it will be blocked off?”
“No,” Barney replied. “We keep an eye on several of these routes and this isn’t one they worry about too much.”
The low-ceilinged tunnel stretched into the darkness. Narrow service paths ran along each side, leaving only enough room for a single person to pass. An acrid, eye-watering odor rolled out of the opening of the tunnel as the group approached. “Here, we’ll need these,” Barney said as he selected several short branches from a nearby pile of debris.
As they progressed deeper into the shelter of the tunnel, everyone pulled out flashlights to illuminate the narrow pathway. Kat used hers to look around the concrete walls as she walked. In the center of the tunnel, long sinewy ropes hung from the ceiling. She trained the light up the rope to the large fleshy objects from which the ropes were hanging. “Are those…?”
“Yeah,” Nolan answered from behind her. “Barnacles. That’s what the sticks are for. They’ll try to eat anything. Haven’t you seen them before?”
“I’ve seen them, just never so large. They must eat well in here.”
“Hmm, lots of rats, I guess. There’s one over the path ahead. Get ready.”
Up ahead, a long dark tongue hung over the pathway, twitching slightly. Mikhail tossed a stick at it and it reacted instantaneously, pulling the newfound object towards the snapping jaws. Everyone rushed underneath as the barnacle tested the stick for edibility. There was a decisive crunch, followed by a clatter as the stick was found wanting and discarded.
“Gah! Those things give me the creeps,” Elena said with a shudder as they continued on.
Other than the occasional barnacle that required dodging, the aqueduct continued on, straight and uninteresting. Further in, Kat noticed small side-passages on the opposite side, below the level of the service paths. Each one they passed seemed to bring a wash of fresh air, though it never was enough to dispel the sharp, sour odor wafting down the tunnel.
As the odor grew stronger, Kat felt a tickle of memory in the back of her mind. She had come across this smell before. She scowled in concentration, but was unable to make a connection. As though summoned by her thoughts, a snuffling, grunting sound echoed softly down the aqueduct.
Mikhail immediately stopped and flicked off his flashlight. “Bullsquid,” he announced quietly. Everybody came to a stumbling halt in the dark. For a moment there was no sound but the hushed breathing of five humans. Soon more grunting calls came down the tunnel.
“There’s more than one,” Barney said softly.
“I thought they were solitary though,” Kat responded. “Those don’t sound very…big. I’ve seen a couple and they had much deeper calls.”
No one answered.
“Well, they might be juveniles,” she continued. “And if they’re aggressive as everyone says, we might be able to kill one and slip by while the others are distracted by it.”
“They might just be attracted to our gunfire, though. I’ve never seen one back down,” said Nolan.
“Maybe, but if there’s a fresh kill right in front of them, they would be just as likely to go after it.”
“It’s worth a try,” Barney said, rifling through his pack. “Otherwise, we have to go back and find a new route and I’m sick of backtracking. Okay, Kat, you’re our expert. We usually just avoid bullsquid when we can. Do you have any ideas for a quick kill?”
She thought of what little she knew of them for a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t really know their anatomy. The best bet would probably be the eye. The brain shouldn’t be too far from it.”
“Sounds good. Here, pass these up to Mik.” There was the sound of objects being passed and then Nolan was pressing night vision equipment into her hands. She passed it forward and soon there was only the sound of quiet footsteps leading away from them.
Chapter IX
_______________________________________________________
Kat pressed her eye firmly against the chink in the wall. The windowpane rattled alarmingly above her head. She could make out the three-legged shadow of a looming creature moving up the street. The rest of the team huddled against the wall, waiting for the passing of the behemoth. She resisted the temptation to stand and look out the window, though she found that by sitting back on her heels and looking up she had a view of the comparatively small body as it swayed past. She quickly jammed her face back into the small opening to watch the movement pattern of the three legs.
Without thinking, she suddenly heard herself say, “What is that thing?” There was a prolonged silence and she could feel four sets of eyes on her back. A warm flush crept up into her cheeks.
Nolan finally answered as though speaking to an exceptionally slow child, “That…was a s-t-r-i-d-e-r.” The glow of embarrassment faded a bit as she looked over her shoulder and saw his mischievous grin. Elena and Mikhail stared, but didn’t seem surprised at her strange question. Barney, she imagined, had told the others about her odd fascinations.
“I know that,” she replied, resisting the urge to grin back. Nolan, Barney, Amina; they all could have been good friends, but it was safer keeping everyone at arms length. “What is it though? Is it mechanical or biological?”
“It’s synth technology,” answered Barney. “They’ve created weapons from other civilizations using mechanics and genetic engineering, so I guess it’s both. We don’t really understand it completely and I don’t have time to explain what we do know. We need to get a look at the perimeter before another patrol comes by.” The small team of rebels stood and returned to the rear of the deteriorating apartment building.
The small back lobby was filled with boxes and old furniture, as though the former inhabitants had expected to move their belongings to new homes. Kat tried not to see the details of the remains as she walked past to the alley; lovingly packed boxes of books and knickknacks, skeletal houseplants, shrouded paintings, all symbols of lives once lived in a safe cocoon of normalcy. She felt an odd relief getting away from the once everyday items.
Coming out of the alley, the decaying boulevard stretched out ahead of them as they carefully picked their way through the lengthening shadows. Broken windowpanes glittered sharply in the glow of the evening sun. The only sign of life in the abandoned city outskirts was a pitifully thin cat, skulking furtively towards them. It dropped into a crouch as it became aware of the intruders, frozen in shock. In the blink of an eye, it turned tail and disappeared into a gaping doorway.
Barney, leading the group, came to a halt. He pulled a small pair of binoculars out of a pocket and examined the street ahead as the team huddled in the shadows. They were in sight of the outer perimeter of the city. Black, segmented walls loomed over the moldering buildings. Nolan crept up from behind and passed Kat. “What’s going on?” he hissed to Barney. “You see something?”
Barney continued to study the perimeter. “I don’t…know…” He fell silent for a moment then lowered the binoculars and tucked them back into his vest. He turned to the back to the team.
“There’s some activity down there. More than there should be. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” He turned and quickly moved down the street.
“Come on. Let’s get out of sight,” said Elena. Kat followed the three others back into the dark alleyway. They stood against the walls in silence. Nolan was surprisingly still; his focus on the mission calming his usual fidgety manner. He had earlier admitted to Kat that this would be his first time out of the city since the arrival of the Combine forces and he seemed to be a bit apprehensive.
Elena crouched against the wall, pulling a hand-drawn map from her pocket. She studied it intently, mumbling softly to herself. She would have been a striking beauty but for the large scar that marred her right cheek and jaw, pulling her mouth into a perpetual smirk. Elena, though, seemed to wear it as a badge of honor. Mikhail simply stood impassively, staring at the bricks in the wall, waiting.
Footsteps approached the alley and Barney jogged around the corner, looking concerned. “Something’s going on. It looks like they’re doing some sort of training exercise down there. I thought you checked on this area Nolan.”
“I did!” Nolan protested indignantly. “There wasn’t anything on the schedule…”
“Well, something’s going on now. We’re going to have to take an alternate route. I think we can…” He trailed off, listening. There was a rhythmic pounding sound in the distance.
Mikhail grabbed his pack. “Strider’s back,” he announced flatly. “Let’s go.”
Everyone snapped into motion, gathering packs and gear. “Which way, Barney?” Elena asked. “We can’t go north. We would have to cross the highway.”
The team jogged down the dark alley. “I know, but if they’ve increased the patrols around the perimeter the aqueduct is probably the only option.”
“Not much of one,” Elena muttered. They continued on, weaving through the maze of residential alleyways and side streets.
Further north, the residential areas gave way to a small commercial district and then quickly turned into a series of light industrial and office parks bordering the highway. At several points they heard the moans of nearby zombies, attracted by their passage. Generally such wretches were put out of their misery, both out of pity and for safety, but the rebels simply slipped past, unwilling to risk the sound of gunfire.
As they walked down a narrow corridor between two warehouses, an unearthly wail broke the deepening twilight. “Oh no,” Nolan moaned. “Runners.”
Kat had heard people speak of runners and Barney had filled her in on what to expect if they encountered any in the city. A new type of zombie created by Combine engineered headcrabs, they were fast, agile and very dangerous. The team scattered to the sides of the shelterless corridor. A dark, crouched figure sped past the far end of the alleyway.
“They’re on both sides,” Elena announced. “Watch out behind.”
Kat flicked the safety off her MP-7 and dropped to one knee. Rabbits. Just like hunting rabbits. Rabbits just don’t run at you, that’s all. There was the sound of something running and snarling behind her and someone fired a short burst. Instinct screamed at her to turn around, but she kept her eyes fixed on the other end, trusting her companions to protect her back. Another burst of gunfire was followed by the sound of a body hitting the pavement.
Kat wrenched her attention back to the front as two more creatures rounded the corner and charged towards them. She was horrified to see they looked like flayed humans running on all fours. Mikhail, on the opposite side, simply said, “Take the left.”
Steadying herself against the wall, she took aim and fired at the beast running up her side of the corridor. Her shot caught it in the shoulder and it staggered into the wall. In a small corner of her consciousness, she was aware of gunfire and the sharp, guttural voices of the runners all around. The second burst hit the creature square in the head. A headcrab fell off with a thin cry and the zombie collapsed limply to the ground.
“Look out!” someone shouted, just as Kat became aware of a rattling above her head. Another runner dropped from the rooftop directly in front of her. She leaped up and backpedaled wildly, raising her weapon. It swiped at her as she desperately squeezed the trigger. Bullets tore through the sinewy arm and gaping chest, slowing the creature only slightly. Time slowed to a syrupy crawl as the backward momentum of her upper body outreached the speed of her feet. She knew was going to fall.
Still holding down the trigger, she tried vainly to train her shots on the head as she inexorably pitched backwards. Every detail of the runners razor-sharp claws were exquisitely seared into her awareness as her hip slammed into the pavement. As it launched itself for the kill, a blast of gunfire ripped through it’s head. Kat collapsed completely onto her back as the lifeless body fell across her legs.
She lay there on her back for a moment as her heart lurched around in her chest, her only coherent thought being that it was now dark enough to see the stars. Someone was running towards her, shouting something and a weight was being pulled off her legs. A wave of adrenaline abruptly hit and she rolled over and up onto her hands and knees, certain that she was going to vomit. She crouched there for a moment, shaking and gulping for air.
Barney was suddenly in front of her face, hand on her shoulder, “Kat! Are you okay? Did it hit you?” She stared at him blankly for a second and sat back against the wall.
“No…I don’t think so,” she replied, looking stupidly down at her abdomen. She laughed weakly when she saw her stomach in one piece. “I guess I would know if it hit me, huh?”
“Yeah, they pack quite a punch. Do you need a second to catch your breath? We just alerted any patrols in the area, so we can’t stay long.”
“I’m alright.” She tried to stand, but only succeeded in stumbling sideways like a newborn fawn. Barney helped her up and she leaned back against the wall, still shaking slightly. “Okay, maybe just one second.”
“Here, give me your gun.” She handed it over and he inspected and reloaded it as the rest of the group came over to check on her. As Elena helped her readjust her pack, she noted that there were six ragged bodies scattered along the corridor.
Elena noticed her observations and patted her shoulder, “That was a lucky fall. You got your head out of the way just in time.” Kat just nodded silently, swallowing with a dry click. Lucky. I’m not sure I can handle any more luck like that. She collected her weapon from Barney and followed the group down the dark corridor.
* * *
Sliding down the north side of the highway embankment, the team of rebels entered an open field. Ahead lay the aqueduct that once supplied the city with water from the foothills. At this time of year it was a nearly dry stream, flowing sluggishly through steep concrete banks. To the west, the man-made riverbed emerged from beneath several roadways and building complexes at the edge of the city.
“It’s a little over a mile through that tunnel,” Elena said as she looked over her map with a small penlight. “Do you think it will be blocked off?”
“No,” Barney replied. “We keep an eye on several of these routes and this isn’t one they worry about too much.”
The low-ceilinged tunnel stretched into the darkness. Narrow service paths ran along each side, leaving only enough room for a single person to pass. An acrid, eye-watering odor rolled out of the opening of the tunnel as the group approached. “Here, we’ll need these,” Barney said as he selected several short branches from a nearby pile of debris.
As they progressed deeper into the shelter of the tunnel, everyone pulled out flashlights to illuminate the narrow pathway. Kat used hers to look around the concrete walls as she walked. In the center of the tunnel, long sinewy ropes hung from the ceiling. She trained the light up the rope to the large fleshy objects from which the ropes were hanging. “Are those…?”
“Yeah,” Nolan answered from behind her. “Barnacles. That’s what the sticks are for. They’ll try to eat anything. Haven’t you seen them before?”
“I’ve seen them, just never so large. They must eat well in here.”
“Hmm, lots of rats, I guess. There’s one over the path ahead. Get ready.”
Up ahead, a long dark tongue hung over the pathway, twitching slightly. Mikhail tossed a stick at it and it reacted instantaneously, pulling the newfound object towards the snapping jaws. Everyone rushed underneath as the barnacle tested the stick for edibility. There was a decisive crunch, followed by a clatter as the stick was found wanting and discarded.
“Gah! Those things give me the creeps,” Elena said with a shudder as they continued on.
Other than the occasional barnacle that required dodging, the aqueduct continued on, straight and uninteresting. Further in, Kat noticed small side-passages on the opposite side, below the level of the service paths. Each one they passed seemed to bring a wash of fresh air, though it never was enough to dispel the sharp, sour odor wafting down the tunnel.
As the odor grew stronger, Kat felt a tickle of memory in the back of her mind. She had come across this smell before. She scowled in concentration, but was unable to make a connection. As though summoned by her thoughts, a snuffling, grunting sound echoed softly down the aqueduct.
Mikhail immediately stopped and flicked off his flashlight. “Bullsquid,” he announced quietly. Everybody came to a stumbling halt in the dark. For a moment there was no sound but the hushed breathing of five humans. Soon more grunting calls came down the tunnel.
“There’s more than one,” Barney said softly.
“I thought they were solitary though,” Kat responded. “Those don’t sound very…big. I’ve seen a couple and they had much deeper calls.”
No one answered.
“Well, they might be juveniles,” she continued. “And if they’re aggressive as everyone says, we might be able to kill one and slip by while the others are distracted by it.”
“They might just be attracted to our gunfire, though. I’ve never seen one back down,” said Nolan.
“Maybe, but if there’s a fresh kill right in front of them, they would be just as likely to go after it.”
“It’s worth a try,” Barney said, rifling through his pack. “Otherwise, we have to go back and find a new route and I’m sick of backtracking. Okay, Kat, you’re our expert. We usually just avoid bullsquid when we can. Do you have any ideas for a quick kill?”
She thought of what little she knew of them for a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t really know their anatomy. The best bet would probably be the eye. The brain shouldn’t be too far from it.”
“Sounds good. Here, pass these up to Mik.” There was the sound of objects being passed and then Nolan was pressing night vision equipment into her hands. She passed it forward and soon there was only the sound of quiet footsteps leading away from them.
). Let's see, what would tempt you guys? Give me a real critique and I'll bake ya some cookies, how's that sound? My regular responders can expect a fresh batch in the mail soon! :E
