Hybrid (25 page)

The group dispersed, the reservists huddled in one group, the police in another, and Erik with the Halls investigators. Erik was quick to note that Steve was among the officers heading back up the mountain. He made his way over to his friend.

“Good morning,” Erik said.

“And to you,” Steve replied as he finished up his equipment check. “I see you're skipping out on the fun this time around. I really can't say I blame you.”

“And what about you?” Erik replied. “You have two kids, a mortgage, car payments. Is this a risk you really want to take?” he asked quietly.

“No, it's not, but I chose to wear this badge and I have to take everything that comes with it, both good and bad. I don't have to tell you. I know you understand that,” Steve answered.

Erik felt a sharp pang of guilt, like he was abandoning his friend. Steve instantly read it on his face.

“Look, you did more than anyone can expect. You're not in the military anymore and you're not a cop. You don't even have to be here now. You've done more than your share. Erik, you've got more cuts and bruises on your body now than any man should have. Let's face it; you're not up for another confrontation with these things. I won't lie to you though. I'd feel a hell of a lot better if you were up there covering my ass. You seem to be able to sniff these things out before they can get close. That would be a real asset to us up there,” Steve commented.

“Be sensitive to noise, or the lack of it, and the temperature. If it starts to get cold, you know you're getting close,” Erik advised his friend.

“How does that happen, how can they make the temperature drop?” Steve asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine, Steve. Just be careful,” Erik cautioned.

“Don't worry, I plan to make it home this afternoon,” Steve answered in a lighter tone. Both men clasped hands in a firm handshake and walked toward the small command post.

The group had assembled, all the equipment was dispersed, and all radio frequencies checked and calibrated with the Halls control van. Erik watched with mixed emotion as Steve and the others dispersed into the Hopedale Parklands.

Erik carefully studied the nine electronic blips superimposed on the large computerized satellite map of the Hopedale Parklands. Each blip represented one of the team members. He carefully marked and noted each section of parkland that the team covered, holding his breath as each report came in. He could hear the occasional radio chatter between each man as the group went beyond the marked park trails into the vast, unmarked forest.

“Base to Steve,” Erik began utilizing Steve's unique radio frequency.

“Go ahead, Erik. Over,” Steve replied.

“How does it look out there?” he questioned his friend.

* * * *

Steve paused as he looked up at the forest canopy and heard the endless chatter of birds, squirrels, and insects. “It looks normal. We still have plenty of signs of wildlife, so I'm reasonably confident that they're not in the immediate area. We're proceeding due west to the area where we had our last encounter. Over.” Steve took one more look around and then paused to stare at the heavily armed man next to him. The M-60 he was carrying with the long feed clip of three-inch shells also made Steve feel somewhat more confident about being out here than before.

The party continued to move due west, covering an eighteen meter swatch of woods as they proceeded. Each police officer was paired with a more heavily armed reservist.

“Sir?” the reservist beside Steve began. “What were these things like, really?”

Steve paused to study his younger escort; he quickly noted that his companion was barely over nineteen years old, twenty-one maybe. His youthful face was unmarked by the lines and creases that had effected his own features not too many years ago. Steve nodded and began to describe the creatures as best he could.

“It's a little difficult to say, the one I'm most familiar with is about seven feet fall, completely black, like the ink from a black marker. Its eyes are red, a dark, almost blood-red. I don't think that it had any eyelids because the whole time I was looking at it, it never blinked, not even a single time. But there was something in those eyes—wisdom, hatred, and a hunger that seemed to burn right through me. It's incredibly strong, stronger than any man. It picked me up with one hand and held me immobile, and I weigh in around 210 pounds. I remember Erik was shooting at it continuously. I shot at it with my forty-four and it still lived. I'll never forget the icy grip of its claws around my neck; I've never felt anything so blood-curdling in all my life. If we find it, I hope we send them both to Hell.

“My friend fought it hand to hand, both in here and at the playground. Erik is probably the deadliest fighter I've ever known, and he barely escaped with his life. He could tell you more about them than me. The freakiest thing is, you can't really see them until they're right on top of you; and the cold ... it gets so damn cold whenever they're near.” Steve shuddered.

“Boo!” a nearby voice shouted, causing Steve and the young reservist to jump a good two feet.

The other men shared a good laugh at their expense as they proceeded toward the foothills of the Hopedale Mountain.

“All right, people, can it. This ain't no picnic. Close it up now, we can't afford to get our asses jumped by these things out here. I want a two-by-two pattern,” Robinson barked amidst the laughter.

“Kaulfax,” Robinson barked to one of his men.

“Sir!” the soldier responded crisply.

“You and Billy go ahead and do a 150-meter sweep. Keep your radio keyed at all times. If you so much as see a fucking mosquito flying the way it shouldn't, you let out a holler! Am I clear, soldier?”

“Clear, sir,” Kaulfax replied.

The group waited until the two soldiers took a lead 150 meters ahead. There was visible tension among the men until Kaulfax radioed the all clear fifteen minutes later. The group proceeded ahead carefully to rendezvous with the scouting party.

The men proceeded this way for another two hours, working their way through the woods and foothills 150 meters at a time, with Kaulfax and Billy running a search sweep, then providing long-range cover as the rest of the group traversed the distance. It was not the most efficient way to travel, but it was the safest. Robinson knew that Kaulfax felt at home in any kind of wilderness area, and Billy had spent two years in the South American jungles doing covert anti-drug operations. They were the two most experienced men, and seemed naturals to scout ahead for anything unusual.

Steve studied the area intently. He recognized a particular tree as the spot where Erik collapsed after his first battle with the creature. He walked over to the tree and could see traces of blood staining the tree bark.

“We were here,” Steve pointed out. “Our first encounter was a half mile or so due west, up the mountain.” He gestured up the gradually sloping incline.

Robinson studied the area carefully then motioned Steve to follow him. Both men walked a small distance from the others who were either drinking from their canteens or adjusting various belts and buckles on their gear.

“Can you take us to the spot where you two squared off with these things?” Robinson asked.

“I believe so. It's almost perfectly due west up the mountain. If we continue in a reasonably straight line, we should end up there in a little under thirty minutes or so,” Steve answered.

He had to admit, deep down, that he really didn't want to go back up there. The horrors of that encounter were still too fresh in his mind. Robinson informed the command and control van of their intentions.

“Command Control, come in,” Robinson said into his portable radio.

“Go ahead,” Nelson answered.

“We're heading toward the hot spot up here. Do you have a positive fix on us?”

There were several seconds of silence before Nelson answered. “Affirmative, we have you all locked in.” Nelson sighed an audible sigh heard through the radio. “Be damn careful up there, Captain.”

“Roger that. Robinson out.” He tucked his radio in his belt pouch and walked back toward his men. Steve followed quietly behind.

“Okay, men, here's where it gets interesting. We're a scant half mile from the hot spot. Everyone keep your eyes open. Billy, unlock the safety on that M-60. You see anything at all out of the ordinary, a dark shadow, a funny shape, unload at your discretion,” Robinson instructed.

Billy nodded, quickly unlatched the safety from the large automatic rifle, and double-checked the bullet feed from the pouch on his back. “All hot, Sir.” he reported crisply.

Next to Billy, the remaining soldiers were getting themselves ready, going over their weapons one last time. Steve nervously checked the cylinder of his forty-four magnum, which seemed to pale in significance with the other heavy weaponry in his company. He spun the cylinder and quickly assured himself that each chamber had a good round. He flipped the cylinder back into the large pistol frame, placed the weapon back in its holster, and deliberately did not set the thumb break snap; if something happened, he would need every precious second. Steve glanced down at his left hip, assuring himself that the four Bianchi speed loaders were still on his equipment belt. He was as ready as he would ever be.

“Let's get to it,” Robinson bellowed, causing the reservists to quickly fall in.

Steve watched apprehensively as Kaulfax and Billy melted into the woods for their next 150-meter scouting trip. Steve marveled at how the two men were able to move through the dense forest with barely a sound.

* * * *

Phil Kaulfax stepped carefully around some briar patches as he kept his eyes peeled for any unusual motion or phenomenon. He quickly glanced over at Billy and gestured for him to proceed forward. Billy cautiously moved himself forward another twenty-five meters, scanning for any unusual disturbances. He found nothing. Billy motioned for Kaulfax to move forward to cover the next section; he would then follow to that point, which would finish the next twenty-five meters. He saw Kaulfax, moving like a forest ghost, making his way up and beyond his point. After they had completed 150 meters, they would radio back to Robinson, and the rest of the group would proceed forward while the two front men provided cover.

Kaulfax reached his position and suddenly froze. Billy watched, stunned, as a patch of darkness, darker than the deepest night, began to descend upon his partner from the trees above. The patch of darkness was nearly impenetrable and all consuming, covering everything as it fell from the treetops. Billy shouted out a warning as the spreading patch of inky-black darkness was swallowing up his partner.

Kaulfax raised his automatic rifle into the blackness and fired off several rounds. Billy screamed as he ran toward his partner. Then he saw the giant feline head reach down from behind the cloud of darkness and, with a quick snap of its jaws, remove Kaulfax's rifle and both arms from his body. Kaulfax's shriek of pain and terror rang through the forest, which had suddenly become deathly silent. Billy took aim with his M-60 and unleashed an armor-piercing hailstorm upon the monstrosity inside the black. The M-60's muzzle spit fire and bullets, tearing into the creature, causing it to roar with distress and disappear back into the darkness. Billy continued firing into the inky blackness as he closed on Kaulfax's position.

When Billy arrived seconds later, the blackness was gone, along with his friend's weapon and upper limbs. Kaulfax's body was hemorrhaging blood and he was already in shock. Billy screamed for assistance as he tried in vain to stop his friend from bleeding to death.

“Hang on, man, hang on,” Billy whispered to his partner.

“Not like this,” Kaulfax whispered. “I don't want to go out like this.”

* * * *

The sound of heavy arms fire caused Robinson and the rest of his group to move forward quickly. He saw one of the soldiers firing his weapon into the forest, but he was too far away to make out the target. All he could see was the fiery muzzle flash from the M-60 as it sprayed hundreds of bullets into the forest. It took the group thirty seconds to traverse the fifty yards. No one was prepared for the sight. Billy was sitting on the forest floor, covered in blood, holding the now dead body of Kaulfax, rocking the corpse back and forth.

“Five-meter defensive circle,” Robinson barked.

Each man responded, forming a rough five-meter circle around Billy, their backs to him, weapons facing out, covering a full 360 degrees.

“Billy, what the fuck happened?” Robinson demanded.

Billy sat, staring down at the lifeless body of his friend, as the blood continued to pour from the tears in the body.

“Damn it, soldier, I asked you a question,” the Captain hollered, using his deepest military tone.

Billy slowly looked up at his CO. “Something came out of the darkness and ate his gun and his arms. Snap! Just like that, and his arms were gone. He fired at it; he must've hit it. I let loose a hundred rounds into the darkness before it disappeared. It has to be dead, it has to be,” Billy whispered as he looked back down at the body of Kaulfax.

“Sir?” a soldier cried out in a sickened voice. “I think we've found his arms, sir.”

Robinson closed his eyes for a moment, and then turned toward the soldier. The soldier was pointing some twenty meters out. He handed Robinson the binoculars, and Robinson panned the general area. Sure enough, he spotted both arms within a scant few feet of each other. Robinson felt the bile build up in his stomach, and quickly put the field glasses down. He pulled out a plastic trash bag from his pack and walked out of the defensive circle toward the limbs. He knelt over them and gently scooped the severed arms into the bag. Robinson looked out, peering into the woods.

“What in God's name could do this to a man?” he asked himself quietly.

Robinson tucked the bag under his arm and lifted the muzzle of his M-16 as he stood. He carefully backed up toward his circle of waiting men, shifting the muzzle of his weapon from side to side, covering his retreat. Once back in the circle, Robinson placed the severed arms next to Kaulfax's body. Billy carefully placed the body and limbs in a thin body bag that was intended for one of the creatures. He then covered the bag with leaves and brush, and emptied a vial of sterile alcohol around the makeshift tomb to ward off any nosey animals until they could come back and move the body.