Babinski pointed at something moving through one of the crop sections, leaving behind a trail of flattened growth. “Something’s coming from over there.”
“Two more coming from this side,” called out Vadik.
“I see four coming in fast over here,” added Sasha Petroff.
The Captain joined Petroff in watching the four trails of flattened growth move across the width of a field two crop sections away. The tall crops hid the creatures until they jumped across the path. Four vicious, fanged faces snarled up at them.
The Captain gazed around as more creatures joined in the hunt. He counted nine. “Fire when you have a target, but don’t waste ammo. I’ve a feeling we’re gonna need more than we have.”
Brusilov lay flat on the tank and sighted along his weapon, following the leading edge of a flattened trail snaking through a field. When the creature appeared and leaped across the path, he adjusted aim slightly and fired a short burst. The creature screeched, crashed to the ground, tumbled head over heels and lay still.
More shots rang out. Two more creatures died. The remaining creatures turned and retreated. While Brusilov watched them retreat, he wondered why they had halted their attack so quickly. Did their weapons drive them back, or were they testing their defenses? He glanced around at his men.
Vadik approached. “Now what do we do, Captain? We’re stuck up here and I can’t see those things going too far when a cornered meal’s on offer.”
“I’ve no idea, Vadik. This is as new to me as it is to you. We now know they can be killed and they also now know we have the means to do so. We’ll stay here for a while to see what they do before I make a decision.”
“Now they’ve seen we aren’t the easy prey they no doubt assumed we were, maybe they’ll leave us alone and give us chance to leave?” said Babinski, hopefully.
Brusilov climbed to his feet and stared down at the surrounding crops, but saw no sign of the monsters he knew were down there, watching and waiting. “I think them leaving us alone is wishful thinking. They are up to something.”
The rain stopped to be replaced by occasional drips of water from the irrigation pipes.
Brusilov suddenly crouched and placed a hand on the metal tank. He glanced at Rozovsky. “Check the ladder.”
Rozovsky moved to the ladder and peered down its length. Half a body length away a monster growled at him. Its tail head lashed out, gripped his shoulder and flung him over the edge. The creature bounded up the last few rungs and onto the tank. Startled by its sudden appearance, Sergei froze. The captain barged the shocked man aside as the monster lashed a claw at Sergei’s face. Brusilov fired. Bullets struck the monster’s chest. It collapsed to the ground. Babinski kicked it in the head, sending it rolling off the tower.
Rozovsky, though shaken by the fall, had been saved from injury by the cushioning effect of the thick carpet of decayed mulch covering the floor. When he gazed up and saw the monster plummeting straight for him, he rolled out of the way. The monster crashed to the ground beside him. Blood oozed from the bullet holes in its chest. Though it was undeniably dead, the message had not yet been received by the tail head. It snapped its jaws and lunged for Rozovsky. Having dropped his weapon during the fall, Rozovsky snatched the knife from its sheaf on his thigh and stabbed at the head. The blade entered just behind its snapping jaw and after a few seconds it fell still and drooped.
“Are you okay, Rozovsky?” called out Sergei.
Rozovsky gazed up the tower to see his comrades staring down at him.
“I was until someone dropped a bloody monster on me.” He used a hand to push the head from the blade and threw it aside.
Babinski grinned. “That was me.”
Rozovsky turned his head and stared at the monster’s face only two feet away. No flesh or hair covered its head from its ears to the tip of its long snout. It gave it a skeletal appearance and revealed the full wickedness of its sharp, scythe-like fangs.
Brusilov noticed two creatures heading for Rozovsky. “If you’re finished playing with your new friend, I suggest you climb back up here before its comrades join the party.”
Rozovsky took the hint. He climbed to his feet, grabbed his rifle and rushed up the ladder. He was halfway up when gunshots echoed through the vast room. A screech indicated one monster had been hit. The other was not so easy to kill. It didn’t move in a straight line, but constantly dodged and changed direction, making it hard to hit. They were learning. It leaped out of the crop below the water tank and onto the ladder.
Rozovsky fumbled with the weapon he’d slung over his shoulder for the climb.
Brusilov dropped his rifle, grabbed his pistol and shot out an arm behind him. “Someone hold me.”
When someone grabbed his wrist, Brusilov leaned out over the edge, took aim and fired four shots at the monster’s head and two in the tail head. It fell to the ground and lay still. Brusilov glanced at Rozovsky and nodded.
Rozovsky returned the nod. “Thanks, Captain.”
When Brusilov was pulled upright, he reloaded and holstered the weapon and reclaimed his rifle.
A creature, slightly paler and larger than the others, stood in the shadows watching the strange new arrivals trapped in its domain. Though they were proving difficult to kill, it wasn’t beaten yet. It had a plan. It tilted its head and looked at the rows of yellow lights hanging from the ceiling. It wouldn’t be long now. It turned to face the hoard of creatures waiting for instructions and barked a command. The creatures glanced towards the prey atop the water tower and then rushed off.
The men on the tower stared in the direction the bark had come from. They glimpsed the bulk of a larger, paler creature before it slunk into the shadows.
Wondering what the creatures were up to now, Brusilov eyes searched the room for a clue and noticed the farthest row of lights go out and then the next. One by one the rows went dark. Pitch-blackness sped towards them.
Sensing something bad was about to happen, the Russians switched on their flashlights and waited.
“You know the drill, comrades,” Brusilov said. “Spread out and keep your eyes and lights trained below. The only way they can get to us is by climbing the tower. If we stay alert we’ll survive. Pick off any that venture too close and hopefully we can reduce their numbers enough to risk climbing down and search for an exit.”
The men spaced themselves around the edge of the tower and roamed their lights over the area below. When thirty minutes had passed and the creatures still hadn’t shown themselves, Brusilov became concerned. He didn’t like the inactivity. He preferred they attack so one way or another they could bring an end to this stalemate. His eyes searched the ground as he walked the tower’s circumference, but nothing moved below. He cocked an ear when he thought he heard something. There it was again. It was faint, but continuous―the sound of something sliding, slithering. He stared into the patch of darkness he thought it originated from and raised the light fixed to his weapon. Caught in his beam nine feet away was the open jaw of one of the creatures hanging upside down from a ceiling beam. He shifted the light left and right, revealing rows of the monsters, one behind the other.
“They’re on the ceiling!” he shouted.
Bullets sprayed from his rifle. A creature screeched and fell to the floor. A second soon followed. The others raised their lights, glimpsed the creatures moving along the roof girders all around them and fired.
One leapt and twisted in midair with its claws aimed at Babinski. Babinski fired as he dodged back and smashed the rifle butt into its head when it flew past. The creature slammed into the tank and rolled.
Rozovsky jumped over it to prevent the tumbling monster from knocking him over the edge and glared at Babinski. “Stop throwing monsters at me.”