“Dark night!” J.B. yelled, his shotgun blasting apart the closest insects.
The companions cut loose with their weapons, moving carefully over the vine-encrusted floor to form a defensive circle. Another wave of insects crawled into view, as a third descended the walls in sheets. Blasters discharged in every direction. J.B. used both of his grens to devastating effect, but more bugs advanced, endless waves, their pincers snapping a hideous cacophony.
Then bright white light flooded the area, and Leviathan appeared at the top of the pit. As it crushed and scraped a path, the vehicle’s heavy engines rumbled. It began plowing along the tunnel, an overhead stream of fire heralding its ponderous advance. Ivy and insects disintegrated under the barrage of antipersonnel rounds from the 75 mm recoilless rifles.
Bracketed by pyrotechnic death, the three companions stood their ground and fought without pause until the insects unexpectedly closed their pincers and stopped fighting. The recce team killed dozens more until they realized the bugs had ceased to move. Then the ivy parted on the left wall and a mass of vines thrust out a human figure in tattered clothing.
“Thank Gaia, it’s you!” Krysty coughed, stumbling into the hazy light. “I was wrapped in some sort of cocoon and it just… let me go.”
“We won?” Dean asked, his face a mask of doubt. They were still in the womb, surrounded on every side. “It gave up?”
“Mebbe,” LB growled. “Or this is another trap.” He grabbed the woman’s arms, holding them tight. “Doc, check her!”
Without hesitation, the old man ran his hands over her body. “I am sorry, my dear, but this search must be conducted.” Doc managed to hide his embarrassment at the rude examination, especially since Krysty’s clothing had been slashed to ribbons. However, regardless of his discomfort, their survival depended on the search.
“She is clean,” Doc stated in relief. “There is no ivy.”
J.B. lowered his weapons. “Good. Let’s go.”
“I do apologize, madam,” Doc added, offering Krysty his frock coat. “But if you had seen what we have.-”
“I did,” the redhead replied, wrapping the long garment around her shoulders. “Those.. .others are everywhere in here. If I hadn’t already shot my last bullet, I would have used it on myself after seeing those poor bastards.”
“Our thoughts exactly,” J.B. said, herding her toward Leviathan.
Krysty paused. “Is there any chance we can help them?”
J.B. shook his head.
“Kill them?” she pleaded.
“Good lady, perhaps we should discuss it in safer surroundings,” Doc suggested, pointedly looking around.
Understanding, she moved faster, placing her feet carefully amid the collection of brass cartridges that covered the floor.
“Watch out,” Dean cried, shoving the woman aside as a burning clump fell from the ceiling to land atop of one of the empty gas containers.
Krysty jumped at the sight and started to run for Leviathan. The others followed in less haste, knowing there was no real danger of an explosion.
The abandoned canister nosily expanded under the heat, and the ivy retracted farther. Then the cap banged off as the thin fumes inside cooked, but nothing else happened. The whole building full of ivy went deathly still, and the bugs scurried out of sight. In seconds, the humans were alone in the headlights of the tank.
“Oh, hell,” LB. whispered.
In slow majesty, a misshapen figure began to rise from the Stygian blackness of the irregular hole in the floor, something so dark it was as if light falling into it was consumed. It was a blackness so great it was clearly visible, highlighted by the ebony expanse of the underground cavern.
Scrambling from her seat, Mildred raced to reach the hatch.
“Everybody, on the double,” Ryan ordered calmly over the external PA system. “We’ve got company coming.”
Picking their way through the destruction, the friends rushed to comply. Mildred hastily threw the lock and shoved aside the door. The others piled in haphazardly.
“In,” Dean’ said, slamming the hatch.
After briefly checking to see that Krysty was alive, Ryan shoved the tank into reverse and pressed the pedal to the floor. The twin diesels roared as the huge vehicle lumbered backward through the burning jungle of the furniture store.