Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A little over two hours passed.  The last meal in the facility was served and eaten over a long period of silence.  Everyone’s thoughts were on the task ahead of them and everything they had gone through up until this point.  All the lives that had been lost and so many more that could be taken if they do not succeed in their new objective.

Nick distributed the remaining ammunition after meeting up within the main hall, each person stuffing whatever clips and casings they could into their vest pockets, knowing they would need to take whatever they could if they wanted to make it out of this place alive.  

Then, finally yet importantly, TECH had authorized the facility’s self-destruct system.  All that was needed was the last passcode to be entered via his laptop.  Once the passcode is entered, they would have ten minutes before the facility and bombs were set around the small town.  BANG had requested an extension to that time so he could possible set more explosives within the airport in order to ensure the creatures destruction.  Nick refused, and Casey couldn’t necessarily blame him.  They had already lost LINGO and trekking through the airport in hopes of a safe escape on the mayor’s private jet was risky enough.  No, the faster everyone made their escape the better.   

As of now, the unit of seven road wordlessly to the airport, its large wire-linked fencing coming into view.  AUTO drove, of course, with TECH in the passenger seat, his hand lying over his laptop he placed onto his lap.  Casey, Nick and MED sat within the back seat in order from left to right.  SCOPE and BANG sat within the back area, the hatch window opened so SCOPE could set his rifles barrel over the top of the closed door, patiently surveying the road behind them through the scope as they came to a crawling stop fifty feet from the padded locked gate.  If anything would try to sneak up on them this time, he would have a clear shot.

Casey patted her upper left vest pocket where she safely stored her flash drive TECH had given her.  He had made certain that everyone had received one with the evidence from the facility.  As long as one of them made it out alive, they would be able to tell their story, to tell everyone what exactly was taking place in this once small and peaceful town.

AUTO squeezed his fingers around the steering wheel, taking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do.  “Everyone, hang on!”  He forewarned before slamming his foot down on the gas petal, the tires squealing, emitting smoke and the smell of burnt rubber before the vehicle jolted forward, pushing the passengers forcibly back into their seats.

SCOPE was able to pull his gun back inside before reaching out and pulling the hatch shut.  No one knew what a crash like this could do.  Casey dug her nails into the material of her pants, bracing herself for the impact as the fencing came closer.  She felt warmth on the back of her left hand, seeing Nick’s hand on hers.  Placing her other hand over his, she closed her eyes, suddenly not so afraid, her mind feeling clear for the first time since LINGO’s death.

Her eyes popped open as a thought came to mind.  Why are they even doing this at all?   Couldn’t they have had BANG set explosives on the gate to make their own entrance?  Why are they doing something so reckless?

She pushed herself forward towards AUTO, to tell him to stop before they hit the gate, but her seat belt held her firmly in place.  Why the hell didn‘t anyone think of this sooner?  She knew their comrade‘s death had affected them gravely, but someone should have thought of this sooner.  She should have thought of this sooner!  

“AUTO, wait!”  She could hear here frantic voice call out, but it was already too late.

The sound of the crunching and scraping of metal as the front of the blazer hit the wired fencing at full speed was enough to make their ears ring excruciatingly.  It only took a second for the fencing to buckle under the force of the vehicle; some metal links breaking under the pressure as others held firm.  The front tires were able roll up the base of the fencing, allowing the vehicle to drive effortlessly up the metal links.

However, the landing was less favorable.  Instead of being launched into the air, the fencing caved partway sending the blazer into a nosedive where it hit the ground with another earsplitting crunch.  Time seemed to have come to a halt at that particular moment as everyone hung forward within their seats, their seat belts holding firm.  The ones that were seated were unable to do anything but stare at the front of the crushed vehicle while SCOPE and BANG leaned heavily against the back of the seats, trying their hardest to prevent their fall into the next compartment.  

The blazer sluggishly began to tip forward before gravity took over, slamming the rest of the vehicle back to the ground, crushing the windshield and hood inward before landing somewhat slanted on the hood and the front part of the roof.

Nick looked around seeing Casey and MED sitting on either side of him, however in an upside down position.  Loose strands of Casey’s hair hung down around her face.  “Is everyone alright?”  He struggled with his seat belt for a moment before unlatching it.  Tucking his head in to his chest, he fell to the roof onto his upper back before rolling to his hands and knees.  His gaze fell to Casey.  “Casey?”

She looked to him, her hair partly blocking her view.  “I’m…fine.”  She said.  Her head ached but that wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.

“Good.”  Nick looked around once more, seeing the others beginning to stir, groaning from their own aches and pains.  “All right, everyone we have to move.  It’s only a matter of time before the creatures are on us.”

“MELEE,” AUTO began groggily. He had been hit hard with his air bag and was fumbling with his seat belt.  “TECH doesn’t look so well.”

“What?”  MED questioned, releasing himself from his seat, falling in the same manner as Nick before he crawled between the seats.  “S**t.”  After a short assessment of the situation, he saw that TECH was pinned between the dashboard and his seat.  “We got to get him out-”

“You don’t have time for that.”  TECH argued.  “You guys got to get out of here.”  

“We aren’t going to leave you behind.”  MED disputed.  

“We have creatures coming.”  SCOPE yelled from the back, managing to open the hatch, firing at one of the creatures emerging from the shadows of the closest building.  

“You have to go now!”  TECH yelled back to them in frustration.

“Damn.”  Nick cursed through clenched teeth.  Pushing the door open next to Casey, he could see three more creatures advancing from the left.  Quickly he exited the vehicle, unsheathing his dagger and taking a defensive stance, looking to Casey briefly.  “Unlatch yourself; we will try to help TECH.”

Casey did as he said, bracing herself for the fall, landing to her hands and knees painfully before crawling to the open door, taking her place beside Nick.  Raising her pistol, she shot at the approaching creatures, now two more added to the pack.

“Damn it, listen to me!”  TECH shouted over the gunfire.  “The laptop is broken!”

Nick pulled open TECH’S door, trusting his back to Casey and saw the crash had been worse than he imagined.  The dashboard was pushed deeply into TECH’s abdomen.  Trickles of blood came from the corners of his mouth, dripping down his pale, clammy skin.

“What does that have to do with anything?”  AUTO hollered back, already outside the vehicle shooting the creatures on his end.  “Damn, don’t tell me there is a nest here too?”

TECH looked to Nick, almost pleadingly.  “The laptop is synced with the facility’s main terminal.  Once broken, the lost signal sets the detonation sequence automatically.  You have less than ten minutes now.”

“That’s fine we still have time to-” MED began his protest, but was cut off by such a horrid phrase.

“I can’t feel my legs.”

Those words ran a chill down Nick’s back.  They may have enough time to free him and get him to safety, even with internal injuries.  However, if he couldn’t feel his legs, that meant half of him was dead weight.  Could they manage carrying him with the creatures so close?

“You don’t have a choice!  You have to go now!”  TECH yelled.

“No I’m sure we can handle it.”  MED said in a frantic plea, grasping TECH’s shoulder as a fearful child.

“MED” Nick said his voice filled with shame in what he was about to say.  “We have to move.”

“MELEE-”

“Now!”

It hurt for Casey to hear the tone of his voice.  There was a deep pain held within.  She wished she could shield him from that pain but there was nothing she could do.  She felt so damn helpless…

MED only looked between Nick and TECH, his face crumpling with emotion before scrambling out the back door, the sounds of gunfire adding to AUTO’s a second later.  

Nick cleared his throat, feeling as if his voice were about to crack.  “Everyone we have to move.”  Nick announced through gritted teeth.  He pointed to the runway, the private jet ready for takeoff.  “Get to the jet now!”

He watched as AUTO and MED were the first to move, BANG and SCOPE exiting from the back hatch, rounding the vehicle towards TECH. SCOPE could only give a fleeting nod, unable to speak to his beloved comrade, before quickly following the others.  It wasn’t much of a goodbye, but TECH understood all the same.

BANG stopped before him, their gazes met.  Without a word, he handed TECH a round object.  He didn’t have to look to know he had handed him a grenade. “These b******s will pay for this TECH.”  Was all BANG said, before running on ahead.  

Nick stepped forward, still entrusting his back to Casey, the sounds of gunshots not too far off in the distance.  He allowed a smile to cross his features however sad it may have looked.  “See-ya TECH.”

TECH returned his smile, rubbing a thumb over the grenade.  “Have a good life MELEE.”

After a last moments look, Nick turned to Casey, grasping her wrist as she reloaded her gun.  She looked to him, seeing his saddened eyes and felt her heart ache for him as she permitted him to pull her forward.  She couldn’t bear to look at TECH in his final moments, a decision she may regret in the future.

They ran as hard and as fast as they could to the jet before them the others still in eyesight a head of them.  There seemed to be only a few ticks of passing time before an explosion came from behind them.  The sound of the creatures’ dying cries echoing behind them.  

Casey’s chest burned from her run as she pushed herself to go faster, taking whatever possible shots she could at the 10s that dared to get in their way.  They were almost there.  Almost there…

Then something happened she would be able to comprehend for the rest of her life.  BANG broke loose from the line!  Instead of continuing his straight path towards the jet, he turned right, running towards two large tanks a fair distance from the jet.

“BANG!”  Nick hollered his tone a mix of anger and terror for his comrade.  “Get the hell back here!”

“Go ahead!  I’ll catch up.”  He called back, looking onward as he took out a few more creatures.  “I’m taking these b******s out!”

There was now less than ten minutes as they ran to the jet and all they could do was pray they still had five at the least.  At least let there be five.  Even though Casey was furious with BANG for doing something so stupid, she prayed for his safety as well.  The fuel tank wasn’t that far from the jet.  Please. Please, let BANG make it back in time…