Chapter 7
A Hideout in the Woods
Pete slowly crawled forward towards the light keeping down as much as he could. Billy stayed where he was, waiting for Pete to decide how to reach it without being seen.
Gizmo scraped across the rough ground quickly to reach Billy.
"Billy" he whinged as he made it half way across the trees. He scudded across and picked Giz up putting him into his backpack.
Gizmo made himself cosy and then peered over the half open bag in front of Billy and looked puzzled.
"Billy we have to get in there, I hear some of them critters around here somewhere.". "Yes I know Pete" he replied.
Pete made himself as low as possible and navigated through the trees. Billy with Gizmo closely followed him. Pete drew his pistol, "In case I need it" he stated.
Pete dashed through the trees, there was a wild aggresive snarl and Pete dived to the ground, rolling over and reaching for his gun.
A gremlin dived on top of him, Pete grappled with him trying to pull him off but it gripped Pete tightly, Pete rolled over again then gave it a body shot with his bare knuckles.
Stunned the creature struggled and growled viciously, showing his sharp wide fangs but then Pete booted him in the side of the face, dived on him and held the gun to his head releasing the trigger, "Bang".
The gremlin slumped sideways after the blast. Pete gathered himself from the floor gasping, "Close call" and spitting on the ground next to the creature. The gremlin had left a small gash on the side of his ear.
Billy and Gizmo were shaking but now sighed with relief having escaped that tussle. Pete tossed his pistol to Billy and said "I'm getting into that place somehow".
They were now about a hundred yards from it and the light came into view again. It was a normal lamp light, some sort of signal directing to this building that was right in front of them.
Pete charged aimlessly towards the building, he positoned himself behind a rock and his eys shot towards the facility, he was now within about a few metres away. He waited patiently and Billy edged closer towards him.
"Wish I still had a crowbar" Billy remarked, "Yeah would have been useful in this situation" Pete added.
Pete hit the dirt and crawled over to the gutter and began mounting the pipes. Billy watched from a distance as Pete grabbed the vent, then using a clawhammer he began to wrench out the nails keeping it in place and then launched it over the roof.
Taking a few moments to regain his breath Pete slid into the shaft and began crawling along the narrow vent into the coal black darkness.
"You cumin" he yelled from inside the vent and Billy mounted the guttering himself, Gizmo clinging onto to him as tightly as he could. Billy scaled the upper wall and spun round facing the entrance. Pete gestered to him and he lowered himself straight in.
"I ain't got a torch how the hell we meant to see" Pete sighed heavily. He traced his fingers around the edges of the vent and slowly pushed himself forwards. Billy following behind with Gizmo telling him it was okay to keep moving.
After a short while, Gizmo pointed out a cross section in the vent. Pete spotted it through the darkness and slowed down and positioned himself accordingly to feel his way around, Billy followed with Gizmo accompaning him.
As Pete looked on up ahead dim red lights came into view below them was grates that would allow them to jump out of the vent. Pete pointed this out to Billy who was getting slightly exasperated having been moving through such a tight space. He was relieved to see some light.
Pete got his wrench ready to smash the hatch open as he approached it however there was a sudden commotion from below.
A loud noise of breaking glass and then a raspy growl, followed by distant footsteps.
Billy exchanged nervous glances with Gizmo, what the hell was going on down there?
"Right I'm going first" Pete said, grasping the clawhammer in both hands, tensing his muscles he pulled out the nails, then the grate fell through. Pete slowly lowered himself out of the vent and dropped to the ground, Billy followed reluctantly.
As he fell out of the vent Billy looked around immediately. Gizmo rested his paw on Billy's shoulder. "We'll survive I'm sure" Billy told him and he then checked his pockets for some matches, yes he had them. He stepped confidently towards the door opposite side of the room they were in.
It seemed a small rusty room with crates loaded up onto shelves, and above them the ventalation system that linked with the entire complex.
"I've never seen this place before Billy, what you reckon?".
"I dunno but I think we shouldn't stay in one place for too long around here" Billy replied hastily glancing down towards the door, he peered through the window it led to a huge loading bay where delivery trucks were parked up. Billy wondered what this place was meant for.
Pete strided over to the door and began to pull it open, "its locked" he said in dismay, "wait I think I can get this thing open" he pullled out his blowtorch and connecting a gas canister to it, he flicked it on.
A bright blue flame shot out of the nuzzle and he stood back steadily positioning the flame on the top left hand corner of the door it began burning the woodwork and pete guided it from top to bottom then worked its way back up the right hand side.
With the door structurally weakend Pete put his foot through it and it fell off its hinges clearing the way from them.
"Hey nice one Pete" said Billy impressed.
They proceeded through the doorway into the main loading bay and cautiously observed the area. "All right so where are they" Billy wondered he needed to get hold of them soon, if only they could just trap them inside of here and find a way to kill them in numbers.
There was a grunt and then a figure ran out across from a low lying object. It was one of them and it had its claws outstreched ready to attack them. Pete reacted at once grabbing his pistol and reloading it, before firing openly at the gremlin.
However this one was a little too quick on the feet and it dodged all of the bullets fired from Pete's gun, frustrated Pete recklessly charged him down resulting in him nearly getting a sharp swipe across the side of the face, he leaned his head back as he saw it coming then kept up the pursuit. The gremlin was laughing evilly all the way as it welcomed the chase.
Billy attempted to block off the gremlin's escape route, "We can't let him get away y'know, cuz then they'll all know were coming for them".
Pete closed in on him and the gremlin was now pouncing on Billy who was stopping him from breaking away down a corridor, Billy braced himself and lifted up a cardboard box in defence, the gremlin leaped angrily at Billy and amazingly Billy caught him in the box as he began to steer himself away from the threat.
Billy dived on top of the box containing the gremlin, to keep him from getting way who responded by rattling the box vigourously, it growled with fury and Pete came rushing over.
Suddenly the gremlin sprung up and tried to do a runner Pete however fired his weapon straight in its face.
"Arrggh" the gremlin cried collapsing on the floor and curling up into a ball with despair.
"Gotcha" Pete barked in his best monster-like voice and he pulled out his blowtorch, "time to put your lights out for good eh" and he turned it on over the gremlin.
"Arrgggggh" the gremlin shrieked as the light from the flare sent enormous pain through him, paralysing him he lay there motionless as the heat and light from the blowtorch combined penetrated him.
The gremlin released its final cry, a shrill sound piercing the air before melting into a puddle of green slime.
There was heart stopping silence then Pete spoke. "Uhhh that damn noise it made there, almost deafened me" he concluded. Well that was another one finished with what about the rest.
"You did really well there buddy" Billy said to Pete.
Gizmo glanced down horrified at what was just a minute ago a fully living gremlin, he sighed, at least he was a little safer now and Billy and Pete seemed to be getting straight over this situation.
Gizmo began to wonder how long it could take, would they be there all night?, but then if they did the sunlight would be out next morning so they could destroy them all then if not now. As Pete and Billy continued their conversation he reached down in Billy's backpack and stroked the crossbow similiar to the one he had used to take down Mohawk at the Clamp Center, yes he had his weapon if he needed it, he was ready to fight the mutants of his race once again.