The cascading beams from the leering full moon filtered haphazardly through the boughs and branches of the towering ever green and ash trees.
The squares and rectangles of light painted an eerie patchwork quilt on the lush forest floor. The view was surreal. Any painter worth his salt would sell his very soul to be able to paint it as it was.
Sousuke ran as quickly as the reduced visibility allowed. It made no sense to twist an ankle or break a limb now. It would also be unwise to run head on into a foe or dangerous situation totally unawares. As he passed through the shifting streamers of light, the strobe effect put his mind in a false sense of ease.
Screams came in slow motion.
If felt as if it took forever to hit the ground, every time he vaulted over a fallen tree or tangle of shrubs. Smells registered on his senses long after he passed them by.
The distance he had to cover would take some time. Fortunately, it was a down hill run. Speed would be important. There might be lives at stake.
Them inexplicably, things seemed to speed up. The minutes felt like seconds. His mind was concerned more about where he was going and what he would find, than it was about where he was and where he had just been.
He had felt the odd temporal dissociation on missions many times.
This time, for some reason, the effect was magnified.
With each howl, his senses ramped up. His mind became more focused. The cold night air sent goosebumps racing along his body, making him feel more alive than he could remember. The adrenalin rush felt as if it might set him alight. He was now a creature of instinct and intuition. His steps were guided by something other than conscious thought.
Jumping through a large bramble patch, thorns carved into his flesh. He didn't feel it.
Rushing through a tangled mass of vines, twigs and leaves filled his shirt and clung to his hair. He didn't even know they were there.
The further he ran, the stronger the odor of a late night's feast teased his nostrils. He took no notice.
Every molecule in his body shouted 'danger!' His subconscious laughed and shouted back 'so what!'
The TMP felt good in his hands. No, it felt as if it were part of his hands. The Heavy bag bouncing off his back could have been a tail or wings, It was part of him too. So was the forest.
So was the night.
There was something dangerous in the forest. Sousuke knew that, even if he had no idea yet what it was.
There was something else dangerous in the forest. Sousuke.
There was someone he needed to protect. Kaname.
Woe betide anyone or anything that threatened harm to her.
They would find out who was the most dangerous.
A different light snuck between leaf, needle, branch, and bough. It danced and beckoned. It peeked, then hid.
Fires. Campfires, to be precise. He was nearing the next encampment.
Finally, he was close enough to clearly make out and words that someone might call out.
The sounds were far from favorable.
His mind pulled in one direction while his heart leaned towards another. He should be at Kaname's side. But, he also needed to know what was going on in order to best prepare.
"Help... somebody... anybody... help... Ahhhhhhgrgrgllllahhhhhh."
Human. Probably dead or dying now.
Sousuke rolled after jumping too high over an outcropping of stone.
AHHHHRRROOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The young sergeant switched off the safety on his gun.
He would have little time to read the situation and react, if the sounds were any indication.
AHROOooo AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo
He activated his communicator, so the radioman on the TDD-1 could record everything that was about to happen.
"Mommy... MOMMMMMMYYYYY..."
A young child. Frightened. Close to shock.
Sousuke began a running commentary of what he saw and what he was doing. Even if no one was currently at the console, the words would all be burned to disc.
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
He was close enough to see the clearing. Shapes ran about. Humans. Others shapes followed. not human.
Something was banging hard against locked doors, sending drum-like beats echoing to the tree tops. The sound of shattering wood was followed by brief shouts and hideous gurgling screams.
"No... nononononno noooooooooooooooooo..."
A well-dressed woman was pounced on from behind. The dark shape on her back had blurry outlines. It was furred. The crunch of bones brought gorge into Sousuke's throat. The enemy was definitely not human.
It treated humans as livestock. Prey. Dinner.
ARRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRR RRRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR
More movement.
A man momentarily had his arms around the neck of something, trying to hold it back from a fallen boy. Before Sousuke realized what had happened, one of that man's arms was detached and in the thing's jaws.
"Ohhhhhh eeeeeeeeeeeee oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh..."
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR ARRR ARRRRRRRRRRR
The armless and throatless victim stumbled dumbly a few steps before falling down forever. His killer began to rip into the flesh of his abdomen, reddening its muzzle with fresh blood and torn strips of muscle and skin.
It suddenly stopped. It knew something came. It got up into a bestial crouch, then stood up on two limbs and howled a challenge.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO AR AR AR OOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOO
Sousuke slid to a halt, his senses revolting against his mind. His body froze momentarily. The animal instincts of his earliest ancestors shouted 'Run away you fool. Run!''
This was a scene from a movie.
A horror film. A veritable page out of Hell's finest script.
The howling beast in front of him was man-shaped, dark, and lithely muscled. Fine black hairs covered every inch of the body, from the taloned fingers and toes, up the canine-like snout and its razor-sharp fangs.
The long pointed ears swiveled towards him.
A horrendous black tongue ran over its teeth, dripping blood-tinged slobber all over its heaving matted chest.
The nostrils flared, sniffed, and sniffed again.
The yes narrowed, showing only small slits of glowing red, as if a supernatural fire burned within.
OOOOOOOOOOO AR AR AR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Its posture changed. Somehow, Sousuke knew it was about to charge. If his weapons proved ineffective... if he missed... or if the creature could withstand a lot of punishment before dying... he realized full well that his life would end here.
Now.
Horribly.
Unthinkably.
The voices clamoring for his attention over his communicator would not be answered any time soon.
Like a coach reviewing film at slow speed, he was able to take note of other similar creatures scattered around the campsite. One was under an overturned table, the fancy linen table clothes and candelabras scattered amongst the china plates, crystal bowls, and fancy silver ware. The meal it ate had at one time been eating the food now covered with dirt.
Another beast sat crouched on the roof of one of the huts, vigilant. It stared at Sousuke.
"Is there someone out there? Please. Answer! Are you help?" A frantic woman's voice came from the largest of the cabins. Deep furrows were scratched into its door, but the wood planking was stern stuff.
"NO! Run away. For God's sake, save yourself. If you can, bring help. Oh, God... can anything help us..."
Similar calls came from the few remaining huts and edificesthat still had intact doors and shutters. Sousuke paid them no heed. There was only one place he could afford to look. Something-he knew not what-kept him from striking first.
Without making a sound, the beast moved. Its first step was followed by an amazing bound, a full thirty feet in the air, its open jaws aimed right at the junction of Sousuke's neck and head. Any other man's lifeblood would have been fountaining skyward one heartbeat later.
"NO! " Sousuke's shout caused the creature on the roof to sit a little higher on its haunches, ears lifting and muzzle retracting. It too looked prepared to join the fray.
The young soldier's quickest move proved barely sufficient. Clawed arms passed close to his body and furred feet dug furrows where he was last standing.
Rolling across burning coals knocked out of a nearby barbeque pit, Sousuke fought back.
Rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat rata tat
A well-placed stream of 9mm slugs tore through the side and neck of the incomprehensible monster. Red blood spurted out and began trickling along slick fur. The beast's growl turned into a whimper, but it did not collapse and it did not die.
Looking at Sousuke, as if memorizing his sight and smell, the creature made a sound somewhere between a cough and a howl and stumbled off into the woods, trailing small crimson beads behind it like breadcrumbs in a fairy tale.
"WHO'S NEXT!" Sousuke felt the blood pounding in his head. He was not prey. He too was a hunter. They had picked the wrong night. They had chosen the wrong forest! "I'm a Specialist!"
"Sergeant Sagara... Urzu 7, report... Sagara, what is going on..."
The voice on the communicator wanted answers. Sousuke had no time for that. Unchracteristically, he shouted out.
"THERE'S... NO... DAMN... TIME...THERE ARE M-O-N-S-T-E-R-S!"
There was also no time to take out a clip and change it into the SMG. His questing hand found just what he wanted, however.
The beast on top of the hut waited too long. Its ears folded back in curiosity when the grey cylindrical canister landed at its feet. The yellow band on it and the other colorful markings meant nothing to the creature.
The M206A2 delayed fuse in the White Phosporus grenade did its thing. Right as the monster began to spring, the 'Willie Pete' went off, sending 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit particles for a blast radius of 17 meters.
The horrifically effective weapon sent huge octopus arms of igniting phosphorus and smoke outward, setting the night alight and touching off blazes on the wooden and thatched rooves of the nearest adjacent buildings. Trees glowed like neon white fingers reaching skyward in supplicating, the fire clinging to them like a living thing.
AR OH AGH AGH AR OO AR OHHH ARRRR OOOOOOOO AR AR AHHH OOOO
A flaming white figure-humanoid in shape, with its arms trying to brush away deeply embedded particles-wavered in its steps, weaving and stumbling, before collapsing in a burning mass of fur and bone. That monster would not be going anywhere!
The top of a 200 pound picnic table was flung off into the woods as if it were made of balsa. The monster that stood high on its hind legs was a good bit larger than the two that Sousuke had already fought.
An adult? A parent? A mate? A teacher? Who could say?
ARRRR ARRRR ARRRR ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR ARRR ARRRRRRRRRRRR
Sousuke shivered. He almost froze, fatally. It was as if the beast were trying to communicate. Perhaps it was promising Sousuke that unspeakable pain was coming his way. Maybe it was beseeching some unholy agency for assistance.
Again, who could say? And who had time to ponder the question?
Sousuke used the brief respite to grab his M1911 pistol. He also took extra time to locate one of two very special clips. Two illegal clips.
Clips he had never been able to bring himself to use against a human enemy.
Why had he even kept them in his bag? It didn't matter. The real question was whether or not they would work.
He wouldn't wait this time. Lightning quick, he raised the .45 caliber pistol and fired.
Bang bang
Even quicker, the monster stepped back and to the side. It's muzzle split in a canine smile. Its ears flicked forward briefly, twice.
"Shit!" Sousuke's aim had been perfect. The creature was smart. It had anticipated his action. Or-even worse-it had been able to follow his moves de novo and dodge them without any time for thought.
Instinct and reflexes like that were phenomenal. Superhuman.
He swallowed hard.
There was no doubt what he needed to do.
He had to get closer. Much closer. So close that if he missed, there would be no time for him to dodge.
"Now!" Sousuke sprinted forward, gun in two hands held straight out in front of him.
Bang bang
The monster leaped upward and back. It landed in a crouch snarling. It was uncertain. But it was certainly not defeated.
A brief bit of movement caught Sousuke's eye as something passed in front of a distant fire. Another creature. It stood staring.
AHHHHRRROOOooooooo oooooo ooooooo AHH AHH AHHRRROOO ooooo oooo oooo ooo oooo ooo
The creature ran off up the hill.
Back towards Sousuke's camp. A series of howls sounded from that direction.
"Kaname!" Sousuke gasped. He had to get back up there. If he could make it through the woods alive.
First, he would have to defeat the beast in front of him. He had no foolish belief that he could outrun it.
'In front of him?'
He had only turned his head for a half a heart beat.
The creature had slipped away like the breeze.
Where?
Sousuke ran quickly to the center of the clearing. He needed as much distance and space as he could obtain. Crouching down, he half-closed his eyes, letting his hearing take control.
Nothing.
Not a single noise could be heard over the din of the survivors; the rush and crackle of the fires; or the distant howling noises.
Was the creature out there watching him, waiting for the ideal opportunity to strike.
Had it gone off towards his camp?
Could it have hidden in one of the deserted buildings.
WHERE WAS IT!
"Calm down. Peace. Be at peace." Sousuke needed to calm his nerves.
"What was that? Please repeat, Urzu-7. Please repeat your message."
The radioman would not give up. He was doing his job.
"Sagara. Sergeant Sagara, are you there?" It was Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin's voice. "Are you able to speak? Sagara, answer!"
Panting like a dog himself, Sousuke mopped his brow, eyes darting left and right. Crablike, he crouched and walked behind a line of old stone benches. Gun out in front of him, he made a number of quick moves, hoping to lure the monster back into his field of fire.
No movement.
Nothing.
The reflection of firelight off of some item caught his attention. Forks. Knives. Spoons. They were scattered around the wreckage of the ostentatious picnic. It was a sign of conspicuous consumption. There was so much silver…… for a camping trip….. far away from civilization.
Silver?
A thought clamored for attention. Unwilling to be distracted further, Sousuke still found himself filling his bag with the dirty and blood covered utensils.
Reaching for one, he almost gagged.
An eye looked back at him. And eye and nothing more. The only remaining sign that yet another life had been torn away.
Life.
Torn away.
Kaname!
DAMN! KANAME COULD BE IN DANGER! AND HE WAS STUCK HERE!
"Calm down. Peace. Be at peace."
He walked slowly. He measured every breath. Without going too far into darkness or too close to any tree or structure, he looked around and between the huts, tables, fire pits, and isolated trees.
Nothing. Nothing still living.
His subconscious acted like an automatic camera system, recording images he would have no choice but to relive later, if he survived. Headless bodies. Parts of bodies. Shredded bodies. Expensive shoes. Hand carved picnic baskets and coolers. Shattered vases and trampled flowers. A pacifier. A doll. A lit cigar. An upended and dripping bottle of wine.
The pool of wine flowed into a puddle of blood.
"Sagara. This is an order. Say something. Do you require back-up. What is the situation."
Back-up.
Help.
Maybe.
Maybe it would only be mop up. Forensics. The men and women with the plastic bags, tarps, and tweezers.
More hope than nothing, though.
"Sagara here. Under attack. Locator beacon set at upper camp location. Chidori and other students there. My position down hill. Camp of strangers under assault. Monsters. Real monsters. Wolves. Walking wolves. Intelligent creatures. Killers. Eaters of men. Predators."
With each forced word, Sousuke stepped and turned. His senses were failing him. He was outmatched. Handicapped. Observed. Targeted.
He might be able to last the night like this.
Might.
If so, he would probably be the only one.
Unacceptable.
"Repeat. Are you injured? Focus. Are you hallucinating? Answer, soldier. We need details." Kalinin's voice worked Sousuke like a marionette. The conditioning of habit took over.
"Urzu-7 reporting. Bipedal creatures, capable of going on all fours. Quicker than human. Amazing strength. Phenomenal leaping ability. Red blood. Harmed by 9mm in large numbers, but not stopped. Killed by incendiary bombs. Smart enough to dodge shots. Hiding. Watching and waiting. No more time to talk. I must stop the one. Now!"
Sousuke could no longer afford to play it smart. It was time to move. There was no avoiding risks. Horrible risks. The dice must roll. The pips must fall just right. Only Kaname mattered. He wanted to save as many as he could, but Kaname came first.
"Sousuke, please. Monsters? Sousuke..." Captain Testarossa's voice. "Sergeant Sagara... how can there be monsters?"
Perhaps the stress was getting to Sousuke.
Maybe he had been around Sgt. Mao too much in the past month.
Whatever the reason, his final transmission was sure to be brought to his attention later, if he lived.
"YOU... F-CKING……. TELL... ME... I have no need for distractions now!"
He left the communicator open, but would give it no more attention for now. The stammering and sounds of disbelief on the other end meant nothing to him at that moment.
Looking at the candelabras laying amongst food and fresh corpses, he noticed that they too seemed to be made of silver. He stuffed them into his bag.
Yes, silver.
There was a word on his tongue, but he was not ready to use it yet.
Ringing his hands together in a quick prayer, Sousuke took off running up the hill, full speed. Abruptly, he stopped.
No noise.
He ran again, for a longer length. Again he stopped and listened.
No sounds.
Once more he ran, faster, harder, further. He stopped just in time.
There was a sound.
Something stopped. Something was breathing great steaming breaths. A twig cracked.
Bang bang.
WHAM!
A hit.
Quickly, Sousuke put on his thermal goggles.
There!
Bang bang
Misses.
"Damn it to Hell!"
The thermal image was gone. But foot marks still glowed with faint heat. It was time to turn the tables.
He jogged for a bit, then slowed. He walked, then picked up his pace. It was instinct alone that drove him. Kill or be killed. Kill and move on to save others.
Kill and send a message to whatever walked the night.
Sousuke followed the trail quickly, running as wide of it as possible, so not to be surprised. The creature was obviously not dead, but the round had done damage. He had drilled out the tips of the .45 caliber bullets. Into the hollow, he had poured mercury, before capping things off with more lead.
The force of the mercury slamming against something would cause the bullet to fragment tremendously, expanding the projectile and the wound. In the right instances, the round would actually explode.
Moving as quietly as he could, Sousuke realized that each step could be his last step, and each breath could be his final breath. There were so many things he never had a chance to do. There were so many things he didn't understand. There were so many things he wanted, but hadn't completely figured out yet.
Hunting the hunter, Sousuke thought back to something he had read. It was about the word he did not want to use yet. It was something he never had reason to take for fact.
Legends. Myths. Scary stories. Things that go bump in the night.
There were tales of an unholy beast that walked beneath the full moon. The stories said that it was silver the monster feared. But one text had suggesedt a mistranslation. Not 'silver,' but instead 'silvered metal.'
Mercury.
There was no way yet to tell exactly what he faced.
He could not be certain if mercury...or silver...would have any effect. But, there was certainly no harm in trying, was there?
"I'm coming. Time for you to be afraid!" He meant the words when he growled them, but they fell impotently from his tongue. Still, the thought kept him going.
The creature could be luring him to a trap. A hole. A deadfall. A sudden deadly drop. A pack of its brethren.
Anything.
He stopped. No sound. Either the creature was completely still, or it could move with a stealth he could never equal. He slowed to a walk. His heartbeat was loud in his ears.
Too loud.
His breath caught in his throat. His hands began to tremble. There was only so much that training, desperation, and willpower could do.
He was afraid. More afraid than he had ever been in his life.
Where was it?
Where was the cursed beast!
Sousuke tripped over an unseen log, just as he lost sight of the trail. That accidental tumble saved his life. Flat on his back, he saw a heat source up in a shadowy tree. The creature!
Bang bang bang bang
WHUMP! Thud Thud WHUMP!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO URRRRRRRRRRRRR AAAAAAAAAAAAH
Something fell heavy at Sousuke feet. He scampered back quickly like a crustacean. Stars filled his eyes as his head banged hard against a large rock.
The shape moved up on to its arms, then collapsed without a sound.
Taking out a flashlight, Sousuke risked a moment of examination. A large hole was in the middle of the creature's chest. The chest was not moving. Unless it was clever enough to be holding its breath, the creature was dead. A poke with a sharp stick did not illicit any response.
So. They could be killed by gunfire. That had been close, however. Much too close.
Sousuke's legs burned. His arms were exhausted. The bag felt as if it were filled with led and stones instead of weapons and silver.
That didn't matter. He would not feel any of it.
The camp was in danger. The students were in danger. Sousuke did not want to see the same things there that he had seen below.
Kaname.
"I'm coming..."