The Red Phoenix 12: Strength Comes in Numbers (45 page)

“Commander? We’re coming up on the vault’s location,” said Chris in a loud voice. “It’s in this auditorium.”

“Great, everyone head in through the double doors,” Braddock replied.

“Whatever you do, do not freak out,” Siddoway whispered to Chris.

“What do you mean?” asked Chris in a soft voice.

“Let’s just head in there,” said Siddoway, maintaining a quiet tone. “Stay grounded and when I tell you to run then run.”

“Got it,” Chris replied quietly.

***

As they entered, the soldiers looked around at the webbing that stretched across the meeting hall, taking off their gas masks and helmets, except Twelve.

“Oh man, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Sanchez, removing his helmet.

“You got that right,” McGee added, noticing the dead people stuck in the webs above. “That is just sick.”

“How many people do you think are caught up in that?” asked a soldier.

“There are at least twelve,” another soldier replied.

“If these are the webs, what the hell do the spiders look like?” asked Finley.

Siddoway glanced at Chris who seemed mesmerized by the hellacious webbing. Chris nodded, indicating he was all right.

“I’m sure the mutated creatures have killed off the web-slingers,” Siddoway stated facetiously.

Braddock gazed at the webbing, stretching across the auditorium in multiple directions.

“Pretty freaking unreal, Commander,” Sanchez stated.

“Watch her,” said Braddock, placing Sanchez over Kerry.

Braddock walked up to a strip of webbing that was seven feet above the floor and touched it with the end of his barrel. The end of his gun stuck to the web’s adhesive. He pulled and tugged on his gun until he ripped it away like it was stuck to duct tape. As he freed his weapon, it caused a rippling wave throughout the rest of the webbing.

“That’s some strong web, Commander,” said one of the soldiers.

“You damn right,” Braddock answered, ripping off the last of the web from the end of his weapon. “It’s incredible.”

“Okay, Michaels, you got us here, where’s the vault?” asked Braddock.

Siddoway watched the ceiling, seeing some of the spider beasts creeping out of their dark corners. They were awakened by the shaking of the web caused by Braddock. He smiled, knowing that Braddock and his men were oblivious to their quiet movements above.

“I hate to say it but it’s at the rear of the stage to the left,” Chris answered.

Braddock stared down one of the aisles of seats at the stage through the field of webbing that hung right above it.

“You really going to head down there, Commander?” asked Sanchez. “The web is only five feet above the floor in some spots.

Braddock didn’t reply. He knew that he would have to crouch all the way to the stage.

“Michaels? Siddoway?” Braddock hollered. “Front and center!”

McGee and Sanchez, Chris and Siddoway moved towards Braddock who grabbed their arms then pushed them against the back row of seats.

“You’re up, team leader,” said Braddock.

“I don’t know what’s down there,” said Chris. “Are you going to give us a gun?”

“You guys don’t need guns,” Braddock replied, holding up an assault rifle. “That’s what this is for.”

“If we’re attacked, I—”

“—Then I will do my best not to shoot either of you in the back of the head by mistake,” Braddock responded.

Chris stared at Braddock for a short time then glanced at Siddoway.

“Now, finish the field trip,
Mr. Tour Guide
, and take me to the vault,” Braddock stated. “I want
the box
.”

“Right,” Chris answered in a soft voice, noticing Kerry in the background as Sanchez held a gun to her head.

“Romero, Kazurtzsky, Anderson—fall in,” said Braddock.

“Yes sir,” Romero answered as the three soldiers grouped behind their commander.

“Sanchez? You and McGee watch the clones,” Braddock stated. “If they make a move, shoot them.”

“We got this, Commander,” Sanchez answered. “Be careful out there, sir.”

Chris lowered his head, bending down, making his way down the aisle, avoiding the web. The stage seemed like it was miles away at the end of a treacherous tunnel because there were so many strands of webbing running above their heads and over the seats. Chris’ crouched walk under the webbing changed into him crawling on his hands and knees, leading Siddoway, Braddock and his soldiers towards the stage. He stopped and looked back at Siddoway and Braddock, knowing nothing was on the stage and that he and Siddoway’s executions were drawing near.

“Why did you stop?” asked Braddock in a hard tone.

“Just wanted to make sure everyone is still here,” Chris replied, stalling, glancing at Siddoway, worried.

“We’re almost there, keep moving,” said Braddock.

“What if Siddoway’s combination doesn’t work on the vault?” asked Chris. “What then?”

“Then you’re both dead men,” Braddock responded, aiming his pistol at Chris. “Now move.”

Chris glanced at Siddoway again, scared.

“Don’t worry, anytime now,” Siddoway whispered, nodding like some plan of his was about to take effect.

Chris continued to crawl under the webbing down the aisle of seats.

At the rear of the auditorium, Sanchez noticed Twelve dressed in Ashment’s uniform and that he was still wearing a helmet and gas mask, unlike the others.

“Ashment?” asked Sanchez, staring at him with suspicion.

Twelve didn’t move, oblivious to the dead soldier’s name being called. His back remained turned to Sanchez as he watched Chris lead the others down the seating aisle under the webbing.

“Ashment?” said Sanchez, not taking his eyes off Twelve.

Twelve stood still, not acknowledging.

“McGee? Watch this broad for a sec,” said Sanchez as he moved towards Twelve, gripping his weapon.

Sanchez grabbed Twelve by the left shoulder and turned him around, facing him. They stared at each other.

“Ashment?” asked Sanchez, trying to recognize him through the gas mask.

Twelve didn’t answer but stared back at him.

“Who are you?” asked Sanchez, raising his gun, worried.

“Don’t you know?” Twelve replied, removing his gas mask, noticing the spiders were just above them. “I’m the President of the United States!”

Sanchez was stunned.

Just as Chris began to stand, pushing his way through the gluey web at the front of the stage, a soldier screamed at the rear of the auditorium, firing his machine gun.

Twelve kicked Sanchez in the chest, forcing him back into the grasp of one of the spiders that clenched him in his legs then bit him on the shoulder, making him scream.

Chris and Siddoway looked back down the web-tunneled seating aisle, watching the fray commence, terrified. A spider beast came down from the ceiling, grabbing one of the soldiers, spinning him in its web, carrying him back towards the ceiling, causing the soldier to drop his weapon. Another spider crawled across the web strand, seizing McGee then another one came down, landing on top of Finley. Another spider dropped to the floor, blocking the auditorium entrance, hissing at Kerry and the other clones.

“Kerry! Run!” Chris shouted.

Five more spiders rushed down towards Chris, Siddoway, Braddock and the three assisting soldiers. Braddock flipped over on his back, firing at a spider creature that descended on top of him through the webbing, spilling spider blood, guts and fluids on his chest, face, arms and legs. Another spider came down, grasped Braddock by the boot ankle and carried him up into the webbing, causing him to drop his pistol. The other spiders tackled Romero, Kazurtsky and Anderson, squashing and pummeling them on the floor, biting them before they spun them around and around in a web.

“Go, dammit!” Chris cried as he and Siddoway hurried up the aisle, crawling on their hands and knees as fast as they could.

Siddoway looked up, mortified, watching Romero, Kazurtsky and Anderson being spun around, screaming for their lives as they ascended.

“Move your ass, Alex!” Chris said, pulling on Siddoway’s arms, grabbing Romero’s weapon on the aisle floor.

Siddoway went to grab Kazurtsky’s machine gun but another spider dropped on top of it, hissing at them.

Chris fired, splattering the spider into a pile of legs, guts and a pool of goo.

“Let’s move!” he said, hurrying up the aisle as they crawled, scared to death, going as fast as they could, avoiding the arachnid ambush from above.

They were almost to the rear of the seats. Siddoway got up too quickly, catching the back of his arm and part of his back on the webbing.

“Chris! Help me!” he cried as two more spiders raced across the web strands after him.

Chris aimed at the spiders then fired. Click! The gun jammed.

“Dammit!” Chris yelled, dropping the gun, trying to pull Siddoway from the web as the spiders came on him, prodding at him with their legs.

One of them knocked Chris down as they began biting Siddoway, making him scream.

Kirk One killed another spider, protecting Kerry. He rushed in, firing at the two spiders that were biting Siddoway, causing their legs to break off and their bodies to splatter disgusting runny fluid all over Siddoway’s face, shoulders, chest and arms.

Kirk Three fired his freeze ray on the third spider, turning it to a frozen ice creature that dropped to the floor, shattering on impact.

Kirk Four fired his blow torch at other spiders that tried to attack from above, burning one of them and causing the other two to retreat to their dark corners of the ceiling, burning some of the webbing.

Chris pulled Siddoway, who was soaked in spider mess, from the web, collapsing them both to the floor.

“Let’s go!” hollered Kirk One, firing his weapon, while Chris and the others hurried to the exit door.

“That was your big secret plan? To get attacked by a bunch of giant spiders?” Chris asked in a loud voice, running alongside Siddoway.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Siddoway responded as they hurried out the exit doors.

Kirk One led them down the corridor. Two more mutated creatures came around the corner, roaring, slashing their claws.

“Clones! At the twelve o’ clock!” One hollered as he and the row of clones dropped them with machine gun fire, clearing the passageway.

“The elevators are just around the corner,” said Siddoway, rushing to the head of the group.

Siddoway hurried into the vestibule and hit the
up
button.

“Guard the corners, you guys!” said Chris.