"One. Two-"
Before William had a chance to finish a fireball of jet engine remains crashed through the side of the house.
"Three!" He cried, pushing Bobby and Becky through the open back door.
People were running wildly through the streets, screaming and diving for cover as the disaster unfolded before them. There was nowhere to aim for. The garden fence was aflame and the back lawn was littered with debris.
"There!" Bobby pointed, and they darted across the neighbours yard and into the shelter of the surrounding trees.
With no option to stop, they had to keep moving. William squinted his eyes against the smoky ruins as the intense heat of the fire encased them. It was disorientating until they made it to the road. Becky tripped off of the sidewalk and the three of them ducked to the ground narrowly avoiding a car door that whistled past their heads.
William fought to get his bearings. Beside him Becky had gotten to her feet and was running towards the school. Bobby was curled in a ball covering his eyes.
"Bobby, we gotta move!" Will grabbed a fist full of his jacket, shaking him roughly, "We are going to die if you don't move your ass!"
Bobby seemed to come to some sense and scrambled to his feet quickly.
As they broke into a run, dust flew at them from ahead as a craft, now clearly visible proceeded to land in the playground before them.
The boys stood shell-shocked as the terrifying creatures spilled out of the hatch doors crawling over one another and scanning their new surroundings.
"What the hell is that?!" Bobby cried.
"Oh shit." Was as much of a response Will could fathom.
One by one the creatures jumped frantic people, wailing shrieks of attack as they scurried in every direction.
Becky was grabbed and during the chaos both the boys were separated. William tumbled to the floor as a man slammed into him full force running from one of the creatures. The army was firing at them in a desperate attempt to slow them down but the bullets did little to stop them.
Will tried to get up but kept getting trampled by panicked crowds. When he dared uncover his face one of the creatures was stood over him, up close and personal. Will shuffled backwards, very careful not to lose eye contact.
To his left a soldier lay sprawled on the floor dead, his chest opened and exposing flesh. His machine gun was thrown out of his grasp but a handgun sat neatly in its holster around his waist. Will saw his opportunity and took it, fighting with the buckle just fast enough to point the gun at the being. He flicked off the safety, aimed the gun right between the beast's eyes and fired.
The gun clicked unresponsively, all its rounds clearly spent.
They considered one another, the creature knowing full well that the frightened boy before him was defenceless. It snarled, and seemed to hesitate, as though recognising him momentarily.
A sudden loud blast of a shotgun and blood splattered out of the side of the creature's head spraying Will with a black gloopy substance. The dark animated liquid crept down his body and oozed onto the floor pooling before seeping back into its dead host.
Will rolled the body off of his legs and glanced sideways trying to locate his saviour. A dark haired man in a leather jacket stood above him casually holding a handgun. Whilst the world around him was utter madness, the man looked completely unfazed. His eyes stared directly at Will and an ominous smile crept across his face.
The man was bad news and he sensed it immediately. Will clambered to his feet but the dark haired man beat him too it, grabbing his arm firmly with a tight lock.
"You're coming with me, kid."
An unmarked black van screeched into view and the side doors flung open as Will felt more hands on him, wrestling his struggling limbs into the back.
"No!" He yelled, still fighting against his captures.
As much of a warzone the outside world was, it seemed a far safer bet than wherever the unmarked van might be taking him.
The dark haired man shoved him forcefully into a seat.
"Sit down and shut up!" He ordered.
Out of the tiny back window Bobby was running after the van. Will couldn't hear him, but he seemed to be mouthing his name, calling out for him, scared. Just as they pulled out of view a creature tackled Bobby to the ground, slashing until the teenager stopped struggling and lay still, dead.
"Bobby!" William screamed, trying to pull the heavy rear doors open.
It was no use.
"Forget it. Your friend is gone." The man spoke calmly, taking a seat opposite him.
"You asshole! Let me go!"
"I just saved your life. A little gratitude wouldn't go a miss" The man blew his fringe out of his face.
"I don't trust you. I want out, now."
William was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Something told him whatever the man's motive; it was not going to be in his favour.
"Well I'm afraid I can't do that. I've got a delivery to make, you see. If you're anything like your old man, I'm not dropping my guard on you for one second. That slippery son of a bitch caused me too many headaches back in the day…"
"Who are you?" the words fell out of Will's mouth.
"My name is Alex Krycek, and I'm about to become your worst nightmare."
There was no sense in fighting the situation but nor did William want to sit back and let it unfold. He waited for Krycek to address the driver through the small hatch and took the opportunity, throwing himself at the sliding door. The door swung violently open and at that point William became frightfully aware of the speed at which the vehicle had been travelling. He made to jump but hands hauled him back inside pinning him to the metal floor.
"Big mistake, kid" Krycek snarled, holding a white cloth over his nose and mouth.
The door was still wide open and the road was loud as the sped along the dirt track. No one bothered to shut it. The other goons just seemed to watch the ordeal. William held his breath whilst he kicked wildly. He didn't dare inhale whatever chloroform or poison the cloth might be soaked in.
Pretty soon the drug took effect and Will felt his eyes drifting uncooperatively closed. He cursed himself for not being stronger, not having more willpower to hold his breath longer. The world went dark and his last residing thought was of Alex and the ticking time bomb that was invading his body.