Die fightin (part 1)
Intro
Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder chased after it like a stamped. The only thing that gave any light in the pitch black night was the flash of a lightning bolt, showering the forest floor with blinding light turning the area white then back to the blinding darkness. With each role of thunder I could hear the faint shrill of screaming. I walked deeper into the trees stumbling over rocks and tree root. The screaming got louder and more constant. The lightning ceased living me in a showed of darkness that seemed to drag the warmth and strength right out of me. The screaming started getting more desperate and I pushed on scrambling out blindly trying to see anything I stepped on a large rock and tried to see any movement or a light something to portray what was happening, the rock broke and slid down a slope and off a drop sending me face first in to the mud. I lift my nose out of the mud and look up at the sky as the rolling clouds part while the moon fights through bringing a dim eerie light to the dark trees. I look around at my unforgiving environment, the light brought strength and I drug myself to my feet and ran hard to the screaming I smashed through a thicket of greed briers, wincing as thorns find their way through fur and hide. I find a small clearing panted in the moonlight. There is heaviness in the air and I felt uneasiness in my chest. I noticed the screaming has stopped leaving the wood dead quiet.
I saw a small stream of smoke trailing into the sky coming from a smoldering camp fire. I started to walk carefully to the smoldering embers. The fur on the back of my neck stud up on end as a soft breeze swept in and carried the smoke away. I crouch down feeling the embers looking for any sighs that might tell me what's going on. I look up to see a figure of a man with bright red glowing eyes and a dark smoky shape that seemed to float away from its eyes. It had arms as big as tree trunks and a body to match. It wielded two huge swords engulfed in a flame as red as its eyes it floated over the brush and landed in the clearing and like a shot charged. With each step nothing was heard not a single thump of a foot landing on dirt and grass, I couldn't even hear my own breathing. The screaming suddenly continued full force, as if it was right over my shoulder. I reach for a chard log and as I pick it up and I turns to ash and falls through my fingers. When I look up the beast is right on me and raising its sword for the strike. With the rising of its arms I see an opening and swing with all my strength and try to drive my fist in to the beast ribs, but as I am about to connect my fist drifts through it like punching fog. And I feel the searing heat of the flames on the beast's blades.
Chapter 1
I shot up in bed clutching my hand as pain shot up my arm "shit " I cursed "fuck that hurt " I say shaking my hand "I got to move that dam thing" referring to the night stand by my bed. I have been having that dam dream for the last 2 days and it seems like every time I have it I end up hurting myself punching something or falling out of bed. I never could sleep laying still. I got to run a mile in my sleep then smash down a wall to have a full night's sleep.
I get out of bed and toss on some jeans and walk to the kitchen and put some bacon in the skillet when the phone rings "city morgue you kill it we chill it "I say in to the receiver knowing who it was. "yo John we still going to the mountains to day?" it was Zack a friend of mine from work and I decided to take him camping. He has never been out in to the country before so I thought it would be good to, out of the kindness of my heart to take him into the mountains and scare the living shit out of him and maybe I might teach him some skills along the way.
"Yea I'm going to eat and ill swing by and pick you up" I say as I flip the bacon with a fork. "Ok man I'll be here, you got my stuff right" Zack said "yea" I reply looking at this mountain of a pack in my living room. "Well I got some stuff to take care of and I will be right over so I'll see ya later man" I say "by" Zack answered back and I hung up the phone.
About that time Red came around the corner into the kitchen waging his tail carrying his bowl "hay boy how you doin" I turn around and open the fridge and take out some stake and an egg. I give red the stake and he wags his tail and barks in thinks before devouring the meat. I crack the egg and dump it on the bacon and let it cook. After the eggs cook I take the skillet to the living room and turn the weather on. I lesson to how heavy storms are supposed to blow through while I dig in to the food " well Red I'm going to get wet" the blue tick hound let out a bark and begged for my food .
Chapter 2
Deep in an underground building three powerful men waited for their top scientist to arrive with the latest report on their little experiment. A high ranking general, an important looking scientist who looked like he should be in a Frankenstein movie. And a dark looking man in a suit, all the making of a good day. The three men sat in complete silence never looking at each other, finding their own respective object to stare a hole in to.
About the time the man in the suit started to grumble something under his breath the door flung open and a man in a lab coat spotted with blood and bits of hair walked up to the front of the room
"gentlemen the lab coat started. "I need not remind you that everything said here is classified and that this room does not exist and that I have never been born. Now then the specimen has been placed under my responsibility for two weeks since its capture. It has a body structure close to our own but has superior hearing, vision, smell and dexterity it has all the senses of a mountain lion in the shape of a human body."
He paused when the mad scientist spoke " has any creature like this ever been recorded before"
the man in the lab coat answered " officially no but throughout history there have been stories of something like this the ancient Egyptians and Anubis , the Greeks and some of their monsters, bigfoot , the wolf man the list go on. I believe they have been on earth or died or disappeared."
With that the general spoke up "where are these monsters coming from and how is it that only a fur people if any have spotted these creatures?" the lab coat spoke "the specimen has the about the same knowledge as the average human and anyone who has saw what mankind is capable of would see reason to stay hidden and the superior senses and marking would help them to stay hidden. Their fur as adapted to blend in just as the animals we know now. After examining the physical attributes of the specimen I have done all I can. But since doctor Lirpa won't leave his laboratory we are forced to transport the specimen that is why I asked Mr. scot to help"
the lab cote motioned toward the man in the suit. "He has transported many high priority packages and all without no more than the people told knowing anything was moved there were no track left behind or any other sine of movement. And I trust that you understand why we asked him to transport the specimen other then with the standard modes of transport. And I need not remind you Mr. Scot, how important it is that this transport goes unnoticed if stealth is jeopardized you must dispose of all evidence and any leaks must be patched"
Chapter 3
We arrived at a good camp site seated in the mountains after setting up a tent and finding enough fire wood to last the night and started to cook some fish I had stashed in a cooler when I started to rain so I scratched the fish and went into the tent with zack as he tried to set up his sleeping bag.
"Give up on the fish?" Zack said as he looked up from is over stuffed sleeping bag. "Yea, the dam thing lived in water a little more won't hurt it "I say as I dig in my pack and pull out a blanket, spreading it on the tent floor I lay down on the blanket and use my backpack as a pillow and laugh to myself at his pile of gear including a sleeping bag that looked like it would keep you warm on an iceberg. He sees me chucking and asks
"what?" he said "man do you got enough stuff with you" I ask looking at his pack.
"We are only staying the weekend, not the weekend, not the year" I say and he looks at me a little hurt
"well what do you got?" Zack said taking my pack from under my head and tossing it on my chest. I open the zipper and start pulling stuff out
"well I got a knife, flint, change of close, first aid, this tent, and two cans of baked beans you hungry?" I toss the can in his lap and we ate the beans and watch the rain and lighting race across the horizon. We watch as a bolt of lightning strikes a tall tree and turn it into an explosion of splinters and fire. Flaming splinters fly through the air like arrows only to be extinguished by the rain.
"HOLY SHIT" Zack yelled as he watched the last of the splinters disappear in the trees "MAN did you see that?" Zack asked excitedly
"yea" I said admiring the power on nature. After a few seconds of silence I speak up "it probably ain't good for that tree to be on fire while where in the same forest" I say as I start to put my boot on.
"Where are you going?" Zack asks
"me I'm going to piss on some fire" I say while tying my boot laces. Zack starts to laugh
"why did a little tree scare the piss out of ya."
"Man shut up" I said starting to laugh "you can't say anything you about shit yourself when that tree went up." I unzip the tent and step outside into the rain "you coming"
Chapter 4
A convoy of Mr. Scot and one of his partners hauling a small crate big enough to hold a person was covered with some camouflage netting to hide it from view. The crate was loaded on the back of a government pick up also draped in camouflage netting. The truck was next to the burning tree with a large splinter drove through the truck's roof killing the driver and pining the truck like a thumb tack Mr. scot was around back talking on a radio for a alternative mode of transport and some troops to guard the truck when he heard movement and took cover in the bushes and drew a silenced pistol from his holster he pulled a balaclava over his face and sat and watched as two men walked through the brush to the burning tree In the pouring rain.
Chapter 5
"Man would you look at that" I said looking at the flaming tree. What was once a towering tree is now a splintered stump. Flaming slivers where scattered all over most where put out by the rain but their whir some stragglers hanging around. I found a fire that was still fighting to live in a sea of water and started to pee on it and said "only you can prevent forest fires" I said to myself with a laugh, while I fight firers I look around at the scattered splinters and flames trying to decide if the fire would spread the breeze picked up and put out the lingering flames but on the wind I could smell gasoline. I scanned the distance through the rain and trees. I could see a truck and trailer draped in camouflage nets, you would have never seen it if you weren't looking for it. I walk to it after finishing off the fire, Zack saw me leaving and followed after me.
The truck looked like it was parked but there was no one around, it was hunting season and it could have been a hunter but there shouldn't have been any around here, any deer would be down in the valleys hiding in the tall grass. I walked closer and something didn't feel right the door was open and I could smell an all two familiar smell of copper and salt. I looked inside and found the smell , a huge splinter fell through the roof of the cab and speared the driver through the neck and chest pining him to the seat "holy shit" I draw out the words in shock.
"Zack! Go back to camp and get my phone, it's in the truck" I waited for a response "Zack!!"No answer. "Where the fuck did he go" I say slightly pissed off, I start to turn around when I hear the unmistakable click of a hand gun cocking.
"Hands in the air!" the man behind me ordered. I raise my hands in the air and I feel the muzzle of the gun on the back of my head, big mistake. For a split second all my former training flooded back to my mind. As more of a reflex then a movement I lean back on the gun and turn around on my toes and kneel down, in one movement grabbed the man's wrist with one hand and his neck with the other and I flip him over my head to slam him on the ground. I take the gun away from his hand and push it into the soft tissue between his chin and neck and force myself not to pull the trigger, but before I could think of what to say I see him grasp a knife and try to stick me in the ribs. I pull the trigger and spray his brains all over the truck tire but I wasn't fast enough, the blade hit its mark but stopped with the trigger pull. I cringe fighting down a yell, no telling who else was out there. The knife was still sticking out of my side. The blade only cut only an inch deep, but 2 or 5 inches it doesn't matter it still hurts like hell. I yank the knife out and get up with the gun and knife in hand.
I look for something to bandage my side but all I see is the netting over the crate behind the truck. I go back there and find Zack his thought cut laying in a pool of his own blood. (No time to worry stay alert and take care of yourself.)I look at my side blood was flowing and soaking my jeans. I reach up and cut out a bandage from the net and stuff some of it in the hole then wrap it around my waste to slow the bleeding. I go to cut some more when I something try to shake the crate and a muffled scream. I tare the netting off looking for a way to open the thing up but I see nothing I take the knife and pry a board apart enough to look inside the dark prison only to see two terrified eyes staring into mine.
"hold on I'm going to get you out I say as I pull the rest of the board off when I hear the smack of a bullet above my head
"shit" I curse as I turn around and dive behind a fallen log and rounds follow after me and slam into the log. I look around and just catch a figure crouch in to some brush I roll over and level the sight at the shadow of its head then squeeze, I feel the kick of the shot but only hear the slid cycle back loading a new round
"holy shit its silenced" I say just realizing the silencer on the end of the pistol. I hear movement behind me and I swing around to see a riffle swing toured me from above me. I snatch the end of the rifle and pull it from him knocking the soldier off balance and he falls on top of me as he falls I push the knife to his thought and dies on top of me after drowning in his own blood. I drop the pistol and take the rifle a MP5SD a small submachine gun that was also silenced I hop up to my feet and run as shots chase me back to the truck and sink into metal. I hear screaming coming from the box as splinters fly from the crate. I pick up a heavy log and slam it into the crate; it's no time for feness.
I bust a hole big enough for someone to crawl out of and pick up the gun. I yell through the hole
"GET OUT NOW!!!" I lean out around the truck and lay down some suppressing fire till I hear her behind me I start to turn
"stay down and follow m........." I was speechless I looked like a mountain lion, same head, same fur ,same tail but that's where the similarities stopped it walked on to legs had hands and toes like mine only furry. It looked like us but covered in fur, it was amazing. I was in shock, I just stared at her and it was easy to tell it was a girl since she only had a torn paper gown and rope around her hands and muzzle and limbs.
While I was out of it she took my knife and cut her bonding as rounds above me brought me back to reality. (Think later now it's time to fight) I swing the rifle around and spray the area around me with two short burst
"save your ammo" I heard the voice of an angle behind me. (Holy shit she can talk)
"We got to move they are flanking us!" she said
"uuumm... ok lets go, stay with me" I say as I take off into the brush with her right behind me we moved quickly but silently it was no problem for her, she moved through the woods like a ghost scarcely making a sound. I fought hard to keep up with her. Once we covered what seemed like enough ground for them not to hear us we ran and ran hard. She got far ahead of me, I was at home in the woods I could out run any one in the thickest of brush but she had an 80 yard lead on me from the start. She stopped behind a rock and waited for me while I caught up; when I reached her I knew I was slowing her down.
"Here, take this" I said as I gave her the gun
"and give me the knife" I said as we traded.
"Theirs half a......" I stopped when I saw her take out the clip and check the clip and replace it then checked the sights.
"I guess you know what you're doing. I'm slowing you down so go ill try and leave a few surprises for them, you take off and ill head up to the top of the mountain and have them chase me instead of, you now go and don't stop moving!" I looked into her eyes, I could see she concern in her eyes or was it fear either way she trusted me and she took off over the ridge.
I got to work I covered her tracks and ran along the ridge to a thicket of green briers. I knew from running around the woods for a good part of my life that there would me deer trails in side from where they hide for the night. I found a good spot to hide along one of the trails in the briers and waited. The wait wasn't long after less than five minutes I heard the soldiers coming my way following my tracks. They lost my tracks in among the hundreds of other tracks in the maze of trails they split up to sweep the brush and I heard one of them come my way he passes me and I jump at him knocking him over shoving his face in to the dirt and thorns. I take my knife and jab at the base of his skull and the knife point cut through the spinal cord and the man gave a shutter and died.
I drag the body to some cover and took his uniform and covered my face with his balaclava. I checked what I had, a radio, a MP5SD, a pistol and plenty of ammo, two frag grenades, Thiess guys whir loaded for bear. I click my rifle off safe past single to full auto and grab a grenade and pull the pin as I walk out of the brush and catch up with the group. I see 3 guys close to greater and tossed the grenade amongst them and lay on the ground. The grenade went off shredding the area with hot shrapnel, I pop up on one knee and open fire on the nearest soldier and his body jerked with the impact on his chest and head , as he collapsed I turn and lined up on a second solder and fired . Rounds struck the back of his head and as he ran for cover and he fell face first to a sliding halt (five down, now how many whir there) I was answered as round clipped the leaves off the trees above me. I duck down and look for muzzle flash when I'm hit. I get smacked to the ground with the impact "shit" I curse as the vest absorbs most of the impact, thank god for Kevlar. I get up on one knee and fire toward the muzzle flashes and back put into the trees.
It was strange, everyone having silenced weapons. Not a shot was heard but you could see the muzzle flash and hear the smack of bullets striking objects. I kept firing short burst at my enemy I went through two clips and decided to get the hell out of Doge.
Chapter 6
I made it half way up the mountain as the sun started to get, lighting the sky on fire and setting the trees ablaze that was a burst of static on the radio followed by a voice "target spotted two clicks south east of the peak" the radio went silent with a burst of static. "SHIT" I said as I run to the location said on the radio which was about a mile away from me I stop behind a tree and kneel down and take my boot off and take out the laces and grab my last grenade off my vest. Tying the laces together and string them between two trees then pin the grenade to the ground with a stick the stick held down the firing arm and the string would pull off the stick and someone would have a bad day I pull the pin and leave. If that doesn't kill someone then it will slow them down because now they would be looking for traps. I start to run, it was dangerous but I'm not about to leave her to fight by herself. I just hope she was worth all this.
I could tell I was close o could smell the gunpowder and soon I could see the body's. I took my mask off; I don't want to get shot by the wrong person. I follow the bodies and the sound of a firefight, moving from tree to tree for cover. I stop when I step on a sharp stick, it has been a while since I ran around bare foot and I was regretting leaving my boots behind. I find the soldiers about a hundred yard In front of me. I switch my rifle to single shot and take aim on the men closest to me, time to put the silencer to use.
I breath out slowly and squeeze the trigger and I hear the hiss of gas leaving the suppresser and the reload of the gun as my targets head explodes and the body falls without the others knowing. I take aim of the others bringing them down one at a time as the forth man falls he gurgles as he dies alerting the rest of the squad. I start moving after each shot to avoid fire flanking their right side hoping that the lioness doesn't mistake me for one of them when about half of them are dead I see her taking cover behind a fallen log. She leaps up from cover firing full auto killing two as turn the last ones head into a fine pink mist