Chapter 105 The Battle
1620words
Suddenly a burst of bone-chilling noises come from behind. Lesley, being the last in the row, quickly peeps backward. The monsters rush out of the bushes and storm like maniacs after them. Jack has succeeded in fighting a path open past the cut-off point of the ambush just in front of the steep decline but now an unholy mass is chasing them.
Desperately Lesley yells: "Fuck! Run faster! They are on me!"
What is waiting for them down under? They run down the steep decline. To the right of them is a steep slant and to their left a deep gorge deeper down below.
Recce yells: "Lesley and Tania! Turn around and get on your knees. Spyker and I will fire over you on three: one, two, three! Now!"
Like one man they turn around and shoot at the first monsters. The narrow footpath causes an obstacle of the wounded and dead. The stream of monsters falls over them and eventually, a wall of maimed and dead bodies are formed.
Recce screams: "Stop firing!"
They stop and then sprint forward while the chasing monsters now have to climb over the dead and wounded bodies. By the time the first monsters have navigated that, they were quite a distance ahead.
The narrow footpath turns left and even becomes steeper. Desperately they run through bushes and branches. Eventually, it ends in a shallow pool deep into the gorge. They run over loose, round, white, slippery rocks in the shallow water.
Nico yells: "Beware where you tread. Don't dislocate an ankle now!"
But it is easier said than done. Now and then one slips and loses his balance but luckily soon finds a steady foothold. The fear of the monsters desperately drives them forward. Lesley looks back and sees a crowd of monsters following like a wall behind them and once in a while some of them scream. They now hear the same sound coming from the woods as if the group behind them is calling others high up in the woods above.
Recce yells out his frustration: "The fuckers are calling their mates and they answer. Here comes shit! I have a feeling they are going to try to cut us off ahead!"
Scarcely has he uttered the words or they hear calls from ahead far in front of them and Spyker remarks: "Fuck! There are some in front of us. They are going to encircle us."
Angrily Recce shouts: "Jack, you cunt! This was your shit idea!"
Suddenly a barricade of monsters with spears, pangas, and knobkieries appear before them. They all hastily grab their rifles from their shoulders and instinctively start shooting at the nearest. Luckily, they quickly dispose of those carrying spears before they could throw them. Jack, in the meantime, has thrown his rifle over his shoulder and pulled his samurai sword and yelling like a madman engages the attackers. His sword flashes as he accurately and quickly cuts like butter through their arms and legs. He fights a path through the monsters while arms with pangas and knobkieries fall in the pool. Some of the monsters attacking him stagger like zombies without arms while others jump on one leg and fall down in the shallow water.
The rest now follows Jack's example and pull their swords. The four mercenaries previously often enticed the monsters out of the shops and are quite effective with the swords. They cut a path through to the left and right of Jack while Nico, Francois, and Michael behind them finish off the wounded monsters.
Michael follows last and must concentrate because of nausea and dizziness that threaten to overwhelm him. It is a disgusting scenario enfolding around him with blood spurting all over from the cut limbs and the whining and howling of the wounded monsters that spit at them accurately like spitting cobras. The slimy, bloody spittle is all over him and he frequently must wipe his glass shield with the palm of his leather clad hand to be able to see anything in this bloody fight.
He wants to vomit but he has no choice. He must swallow it back and focus for all his might and let his sword do the talking as effectively as possible. Luckily, he is able to get down at the right moment and target the legs of the nearest remaining monsters. He tries his best and tries hard to ignore the blood when his sharp sword slice a leg and the blood gushes.
Eventually, they fight a path through the monsters and fatigued to the bone jogs further on and leave the remaining monsters behind.
Michael quickly looks back. The original crowd of monsters is now right behind them. "Run! They are on our heels!"
Tired they move as quickly as possible and wonder how far they will last. Suddenly the trees and shrubs make way and in front of them is a large pool with muddy, unmanageable, vertical cliffs both on the left and rights sides. The only option is to run into the pool and the cool mountain water engulfs them. Most of the spittle and blood are being washed away as they thrust forward deeper into the water.
Their gear is hopelessly too heavy to try and swim but desperate to get distance between them and the monsters, they move deeper until only their shoulders are above water.
Michael looks back again: "They've stopped! They don't want to enter the pool."
They all turn around and see how the monsters growling and frustrated move to and fro. Then they start to gathers rocks. Soon rocks are flying towards them.
Nico yells: "Follow me! In front is a sandbank. Maybe we can get away while we keep our heads above water."
In a row, they follow him while the water kicks up when the missiles hit it. Eventually, they are out of reach of the rocks and follow the left side of the pool all along the sandbank. Then the gorge turns and they advance to where they can't see monsters anymore. In front of them, an island appears and they climb out of the water. Exhausted and out of breath they sit and lie on the boulders.
Nico gives advice: "Make sure you wash off all the blood and spittle thoroughly. We don't want to become sick. Remember, it is extremely contagious."
Slowly Lesley speaks, clearly exhausted: "Those fuckers spit continuously and accurately like fucking Mozambique spitting cobras. I hate it, fuck!"
Spyker airs his theory: "That is how they quickly become so many. If they can't capture some people, their spittle will infect those that escaped, and then such persons simply join them."
Now they hear harrowing screams like those of the monsters they have left behind calling their mates followed by screams from the woods high above them and eventually, they hear screams coming from ahead.
Recce shakes his head. "The fuckers are already busy organizing themselves. I think they communicate our position and are going to encircle us again. We are now trapped. This is a fuck up! This place is like a jail."
Michael confirms: "They are working as a collective intelligence. It is like a swarm that works together to encircle their prey and trap them."
Out of the blue Jack starts splitting his sides like a madman. He laughs heartily as if he is the luckiest man on earth. They all turn towards him and baffled look at him until he stops as suddenly as he has started. Now he smiles at them who stare at him bewildered as if it is they who are mad.
Amazed Tania shakes her head. "What the hell is wrong with you? You are insane! Do you enjoy this shit?"
Spyker also shakes his head looking at Recce: "Recce, I've always thought you are crazy, but this guy is beyond wacky."
Recce frowns at Jack, "Where did you learn to shoot like that and wielding your sword, my chum? You definitely know your story."
Jack ignores his question: "I was right. I assumed there should be a place that gives shelter to the refugees against the monsters in these gorges. I suppose there are more of them – like my children – because why do the cliffs have so much attraction for the monsters? Now I know that it is the deep pools. The refugees escaped via the pools and now the monsters are waiting for them to emerge out of desperation or hunger looking for freedom or food outside. The monsters are afraid of deep water because I think they can't swim and that is what saved our children. Am I right, Michael?"
Michael nods in confirmation. "Precisely, Jack. The spot in which I saw them with the people of the helicopter in my dream, was a cave in a hidden crevice in a vertical cliff face. I suppose the monsters wouldn't know of their existence, because the cave is well hidden and surrounded by a deep pool in between high cliffs on all sides."
Spyker pricks at their balloon with: "They couldn't have remained there. How do you survive in such a jail? What would sustain them? One has to eat!"
