Chapter Three
Finally after a few minutes, Jess and Lester both heard coughing over the comms.
Relief poured over them both, and Jess sighed deeply.
"Becker, are you alright?" she asked.
"Yes," came the reply.
Jess giggled with relief, and Lester patted her shoulder.
"What's your status?" asked Lester.
"Not sure. Give me a moment," said Becker.
They heard more coughing, and Becker asking the others if they were OK. Then they heard some movement, boards shifting, groaning, and then a scream in pain.
"Becker?" asked Jess.
"I'm fine Jess. Vale's hurt. Lester, we're trapped. A building collapsed on us. Those three tanks brought down the damn building!"
There was a pause, and Becker resumed his calm, informative tone, "We're stuck, no way out. We can hear the creatures digging. We know they'll...eat humans. Mills is dead, so is Culp. The guns don't work on them. They've got heavy armor. They're big...as cars..."
Becker stopped as he coughed fiercely. Jess traded a worried look with Jess.
"Captain, I expect an honest answer, are you hurt?" asked Lester.
Becker laughed weakly. "It's a tornado of dust down here. I'm banged up, but not hurt. Vale is bleeding, I think internally. One leg is broken and I think he may have broken ribs. He's bad, Lester. Thompson and Morton seem OK. I'm surprised we're still here. We're in a space somehow. I don't know why we're not crushed."
Lester nodded. "I see. You said the EMDs don't work?"
"They bounce right off the armor. It's thick, Lester, I don't know that anything will work."
"First time I've heard you doubt your beloved firearms, Captain," said Lester.
Becker chuckled. "Temporary insanity, I guess."
"Right," said Lester. "Jess, send units to lock the anomaly, and units to contain the creatures."
"Lester, that's a bad idea. The things are fast despite being tanks. You're just sending more bodies for them to crush."
"I'll warn the teams of that, but we have no choice. We can't have more 'tanks' roaming the streets. We'll get you out as soon as possible Captain."
"Captain," said Morton. "Do you hear that?"
"Yeah," said Becker. "What is it?"
They sat silently for a moment. "Oh, God."
"What? What is it?" asked Lester.
"The creatures are digging to us," said Becker.
Jess nearly screamed. Instead, she summoned all her courage.
"Hold on Becker," she said sweetly, it took all her strength. "You heard the boss. We'll get you out."
"I know Jess."
Jess took the comm out for a second to scream inaudibly. Then she put the comm right back in, taking a deep breath, and focusing on the men's survival.
Lester patted her head and picked up the nearest phone.
"Sergeant Carlson, it's Lester. Listen carefully. EMDs aren't working. We have three creatures that look like heavily armored tanks. We need to take them down."
Jess piped in. "Carly, pick up your mobile. I've sent footage of the creatures to you."
Lester waited impatiently as Carlson watched the video.
"Holy Smith and Wesson! That armor is bone, solid bone! It has to be a few feet thick! We don't have anything designed to go through that much bone. An assault weapon wouldn't even work, unless you kept firing until a hole was formed."
"Becker and his men are trapped, and these things are digging to them. I can't send teams to take out the creatures with a gun that won't work."
"Yes sir. Holy glock, sir. On it sir. No idea yet sir. Carlson out."
Lester stared at the phone. "Carlson out?' He doesn't get to say out. I say out."
Then he turned his attention back to the buried men. "Becker what's your status?"
Lester waited. "Becker?"
Jess looked at Lester, and began to feel knots in her stomach.
Finally, there was a reply.
"Uh, Thompson here... Becker's,...oh man," said Thompson. The soldier's voice was scared and on the verge of panic. "Vale is...come on, Vale, don't..." he whimpered.
Jess looked alarmed.
"Private, what is happening?" asked Lester.
"Vale's...he's not breathing. The Cap's doing CPR..."
Jess teared up.
"I see. Keep calm, Private. The captain is taking care of Vale. I'm sorry, but I need you to focus. Now, where are the creatures?"
"We can still hear them sir. They're getting closer. There is digging on one side, and then more digging sounds about, I'd guess, ten feet away, on the other side. There are only two digging sounds, so either two creatures are digging together, or one isn't digging at all."
"Alright. Is the Captain still doing CPR on the lieutenant?"
"Yes sir, he is...Yes!" cried Thompson in their ears. "Sorry. Vale's breathing, and Cap's got a heart beat!"
Jess and Lester both sighed in relief, and over the comms they could hear relieved chuckling.
Then, Thompson came back on. "Sir, we could sure use some help soon."
"I know, Private. Rest assured we're working on it. Carlson will find something to defeat the creatures."
"We know, sir. Thank you."
"Hold on Private, and tell the captain that was excellent work indeed," said Lester.
Thompson chuckled. "Yes, sir. It was sir."
"Thompson, how is Vale now?" asked Jess.
"Not good, but still alive, thanks to the Cap."
Jess smiled. "Tell him he's brilliant for me, would you?"
"Yes ma'am. He heard, and he's smiling."
"Hold on, all of you, just hold on," said Jess barely above a whisper.
"We will, Jess," said an exhausted, spent voice that she barely recognized as Becker.
End of Chapter Three