They were almost on him when he fired, taking them down in a single burst from the MP38. One more broke free of the fence and charged. Dutch caught it below the chin, its head coming halfway off as its body dropped.
The K98 was in AJ's hands a moment later, the submachine gun dropping to the ground. He fired all five shots, taking the remaining two shapes stuck beneath the wire.
At the gate, Kate let loose another jet of flame, and a moment later, a figure came tearing through the entrance. Its head was spouting fire, its skull smoldering and popping as it charged. AJ dropped one rifle and grabbed the other. He could barely see for the tunnel-vision, fear and ice running through his veins. He had the rifle cocked when Dutch fired again, and the figure's flaming skull exploded.
AJ spun in a circle, scanning for any signs of movement, but there were none. The MP38 beckoned, and he picked it up, spending precious seconds to eject the magazine and slap in a spare. He didn't have time to reload the second Karabiner, so he took the loaded one and started for the gate. Kate was jogging ahead of him, but he passed her at the fence, stepping under the canopy of melting fungus. “Stay with me!”
The darkness swallowed them as they moved up the path, the torchlight dying behind. Above, AJ could see the moonlight glinting off of tentacles as large as redwoods.
There were two flares left, and he decided to use one. He grabbed the gun off of his waist and shot a round upwards, barely slowing. All at once, he came to a screeching halt. Kate, who was moving slower, almost knocked him over.
“Why are you stopping?” she panted. Then, she saw.
The crater loomed before them, its vast reaches dropping into the earth. They had almost tumbled straight in.
“Back up,” he said. “Slowly.”
She did. A moment later, they discovered the path around it and found another overgrowth of tentacles.
Kate squeezed the trigger again, her sweat shining in the light of the flare. She cut a path through them, disintegrating each one in turn. AJ watched as two human shapes fell from within one of the tentacles, hissing as they melted. He waited for more to drop, called by the pain and the heat of their brethren.
Kate spun. “AJ, behind you!”
They were not coming from the tentacles; they were coming from the pit. A dozen huddled shapes came slithering over the stones, crawling up the sides of the crater like bugs. He pulled the trigger of the MP38 and heard only a dry click.
It was jammed!
He was knocked to the ground before he knew what was happening, but not by The Carrion. Kate pushed past him, thrusting the hose of the flamethrower in front. A wave of emerald fire flashed from the hose, coating the shapes rising from the dark. The figures seemed to twist in slow motion, falling back into the abyss in a viridian agony. One of them almost made it, but AJ regained his feet and smashed it with the butt of his gun, sending it toppling into the pit.
When he was sure they were gone, he took the clip out of the MP38 and tested the cocking handle. He pulled it back, then forwards, clearing the jam. Then, he put the clip back in and fired a test shot.
“Fixed?” Kate asked.
He nodded. “Thanks for that.”
“Are they gone?”
He walked along the side of the crater, looking for signs. The edges were glowing, the flames sticking to the rocks. They flickered eerily in the dark, portending shadows of things that were not really there. There was something else in the darkness though, something he couldn't see. It had come from the base, following their trail through the gloom.
3
Their stench was ripe. The man's sweat had a rancid-sick aroma, but the girl… the girl was sweet. His nostrils flared with the scent, taking her in as he followed the trail. He could almost remember what she looked like.
The air was too hot, and he felt dry. He felt withered. He could still make it to them and cut them off though, and then, he could rest. The way he felt now, he could use a rest. It felt like he had been up for days… had it been days?
He had left his other at the tower, and he'd sacrificed a good man to keep all three of them there. But they had been just too clever. They.
Them.
Who was he talking about?
He caught her scent again and loped forward, limping on his bad leg. The fire around her was burning yellow and green.
Green.
Surely, he must be imagining that.
He saw the man walking around the edge of the dark. He could push him in, and then, he would be alone with the girl. His tongue pushed out of his mouth, and he tasted the damp air, savoring the sweetness of her fear. He imagined how soft her skin must be, how easily it would collapse under his claws. Under his bite. He would bathe in her. Gods, how he was dry!
A muscle twitched in the upper corner of one eye, and he swatted it. His head was pounding, his skin hot. But just a little longer, just a little further, and he would rest.
He crept behind the rocks at the edge of the crater, knowing the bitch would be his.
4
The figure leapt at AJ from the blackness, massive and wolf-like. It kicked Kate in the chest, sending her spinning through the air. AJ watched her tumble to the ground, her backpack clanging off of a nearby rock. He waited for the whole thing to blow, but it didn't.
Mason spun towards him, his mouth frothing. AJ looked down at his own hands and the MP38 went off of its own accord, aiming itself towards his attacker. Mason was on him in two strides, taking the lead to the stomach. The burst should have bowled him backwards, but it didn't. He kept coming. He kept coming straight through it.
In one swift stroke, Mason swatted the gun, knocking it away like a toy. He grabbed AJ by the wrist and twisted, forcing the man back. AJ punched him in the balls, but there was nothing. No response save for a cold, dead-eyed stare. Mason brought him to his knees, laughing silent, gruesome laughter.
Behind him, Kate was getting to her feet, but she couldn't use the thrower, not unless she wanted to kill them both.
Mason pulled out his knife, a long steel blade streaked with gore. AJ caught his hand as he brought it down, but he was outmatched.
“Now,” the Mason-thing said. “Now, you seeeeeee!”
There was movement all around them as a fresh wave of Carrion shapes rose from the pit. There had to be at least twenty, all moving with feral ease. The figures began to fan out at the top, not attacking, but moving to surround.
“They're coming,” Kate called. “What do I do? AJ, what do I do?”
He felt his knees buckle, the knife inching towards his face. “Wait!” he coughed.
“They're getting closer!”
“Wait!” he choked.
Mason brought him down to the ground, pushing the knife lower… and lower. It was an inch from his eye.
And then behind him, AJ saw a new figure rise from the darkness. It stood tall, the insignia of an army lieutenant etched on its chest. Without warning, it pounced, leaping onto Mason's back. It began to tear at him, and in seconds, the other Carrion joined it. They were pulling at the big man, yanking him off of his target.
“Mineeee!” the thing screeched. “My dreaaaammmmm!”
“Get off me!” Mason yelled. “Get off of me, you fools!” He slashed with the knife and cut two of them deep, but the one on his back kept on. It was clawing at Mason's neck, digging with fingernails as long as daggers. With one final grunt, Mason threw the thing off of him, sending it crunching onto a pile of rocks. He looked back at AJ and snarled, his face covered in blood.