Rise of the Undead 1943 (7 page)

The band travels wearily down a narrow passage as it drops
down and levels out.

Vanessa smiles to Oddball, “Been in the army long?”

“A year.”

“And what did you do before that?”

“Watch repair, with my grandfather.”

“Ever work on antiques?”

Oddball smiles, “They’re the best. They’re old and kind of
have a life of their own.”

“I know what you mean,” and she smiles at him.

Monte talks with Yusif as they march.

“How much farther we got?” Monte asks.

“Not far,” he looks to Monte, “It will not be pleasant.”

“Ain’t exactly been a day at the beach so far, pal.”

They emerge from the tight passageway and into a large
natural cavern. The ceiling, hundreds of feet above them, is a translucent
white, giving off a soft glow. Strange plants grow on the cavern floor, and
crystal stalactites reach from the ceiling toward the ground.

“Look!” Muller exclaims.

Pilch looks around amazed, “Okay. Things just got officially
fuckin’ bizarre.”

“Looks like it’s from heaven,” Oddball says.

Yusif shakes his head, “No. Not heaven.”

Vanessa looks up, “Quartz, a vein must run to the surface
and refract the light down.”

Monte scans the strange cavern. In the center sits a large
iron cage, “Jesus.”

Two men sit inside the cage, one banging his head against
the bars. Aged, bleached human bones litter the floor. The second man is Clint.

“Holy shit!” Pilch cries out as they rush to him. Monte
looks at Clint’s wounds.

Clint smiles at Oddball, “Hey buddy. Bum a smoke?”

“Sure thing, Clinty,” and he pulls out a cigarette.

“You’re going to give him one?” Pilch asks.

“Sure, you know Clinty. He’s never got his own.”

Oddball lights the smoke and hands it over. Muller
approaches the cage and tries to talk to the other man inside, a German soldier
banging his head on the bars. His throat is shredded, and the man has lost his
mind.

“What’s the score?” Monte asks him.

Clint sucks in on the smoke, “We wouldn’t do what he wanted.”

“Belial?”

Clint nods.

“Have you seen him?” Yusif asks alarmed.

“No,” Clint taps the side of his head, “His touch, we can
all feel it.”

“We? There’s more?” Monte asks.

Clint nods, “Harris is leading them.”

“Son-of-a-bitch,” Monte says.

“All of them?” Pilch asks alarmed.

“Matty and some others freed themselves.”

“Well, we gotta find him,” Pilch says.

Clint shakes his head, “They blew their own heads off.”

“But . . . ”

“It’s hard; he has power. I can feel it now, the push to
kill you.”

Monte looks at Clint clenching his fists and obviously
fighting a battle in his mind, “Alright, Clinty. You done good.”

Clint nods in thanks and then throws the half smoked
cigarette away, “Sarge?” Clint looks up to him.

“Yeah.”

“You think you could . . . ”

Vanessa takes in a sharp breath, knowing what he’s asking
for, and turns away.

Monte and Clint share a look, “Sure thing, buddy.”

Vanessa walks away from the cage.

Oddball watches her go and realizes what Clint wants, “You’re
not… I mean, come on, Sarge.”

Monte looks at Oddball, “I’d do the same for you, son.”

Oddball turns and follows after Vanessa.

“Sorry, Clinty,” Monte looks to Muller, who has drawn his
pistol and stands ready in front of his man, “You ready Captain?”

Muller nods, and Monte takes aim at Clint’s head.

Oddball walks with his head hung low.

“I’m so sorry,” Vanessa tells him.

Two gun blasts echo through the tunnel, and Oddball stifles
a cry. Vanessa reaches out and puts an arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

Pilch looks at the motionless corpse of Clint as Monte and
Muller walk away, “Damn,” he looks to Yusif, “If I buy it, promise me you’ll
take my head off.”

Yusif smiles, “With great pleasure.”

Pilch smiles, but then thinks about what Yusif just said and
frowns.

Oddball and Vanessa stand at the end of the chamber. It has
collapsed into a mass of dirt. Monte walks up, “This the way?”

“Yes.”

“That could be a problem,” Pilch notes, coming up behind
them.

Yusif stoops and sees a small opening in the collapsed
tunnel, “We can fit.”

Oddball looks into the passage, just big enough to crawl
through, “Oh no.”

Oddball turns to go and Vanessa grabs him before Monte can,
spinning him around, “It’ll be easy, I’ll hold your hand.”

Monte laughs.

“This ain’t funny, Sarge.”

“Oh yes it is, son. Yes it is.”

Yusif crawls in and quickly disappears. Monte follows.

The water has drained away to reveal what is left of Lewis lying
at the entrance stone. The lower half of his torso has been blown away by the
earlier blast and his battered corpse is motionless. The stone block rolls
aside revealing the temple entrance room and the statue of Belial seems to gaze
upon him. Lewis wears the necklace that he took from the tents. A small ruby in
its center lights up. Lewis coughs up a lung-full of water and looks down at
his body, “Aw man,” he closes his eyes in despair and holds back tears. Then,
his eyes snap open, and he whips his neck to gaze at the statue of Belial, “Yes
Master,” and he starts to pull himself toward the statue.

Yusif crawls along the tight passage with dirt raining down
onto him, “I can see light ahead,” he calls back.

“Just hurry up,” Monte yells to him.

Oddball struggles to move forward, grunting all the way.
Vanessa is ahead of him, “Almost there, you’re OK?” she tells him.

“You know, it’s the man that is supposed to be reassuring
the woman.”

Vanessa kicks him in the head.

“Ow!”

Muller pulls himself along, ahead of Vanessa. Something
moves in the dirt beside him. He looks back to see Karl driving his dagger into
the dirt, “From the walls, they’re coming from the walls.”

“Forward!” Muller yells.

Oddball looks around, “What the fuck?” A hand breaks into
the tunnel from the dirt and grabs him, “Undead! Coming out of the walls!”

Krugger is bringing up the rear, he struggles through the
tunnel, his sheer size bringing down pounds of dirt on top of him.

Yusif pulls himself out and turns to help Monte, “Hurry!”

Muller uses his pistol and shoots into a badly decomposed
body that is attacking him as Karl climbs out ahead of him, “To me! To me!”
Karl screams as he reaches in and pulls Muller out.

Hands have grabbed Oddball, “Help!”

Pilch climbs out and looks back, “Oddball!”

Vanessa climbs over the corpse that Muller left and
struggles for the exit. Pilch and Karl reach in and pull her out, all three
falling to floor.

Oddball pushes past his attacker and quickly crawls for the exit
as more hands grab for him, “They got me!”

Muller dives back into the tunnel, “Hold my feet, my feet!”
he yells back and Pilch and Monte grab his feet and lean in as Muller reaches
for Oddball, “To me boy! To me!” Oddball reaches out for Muller.

“Help me!”

Their fingers touch.

“A little more!”

Muller grabs him, “Go!” he screams.

The two are quickly pulled free as Pilch and Monte jerk them
out to land in a heap on the floor.

Oddball looks up to Vanessa, “It’ll be easy, you said.
Easy.”

She shrugs.

Muller looks back to the tunnel, “Krugger,” he stands and
dives back in. He can see Krugger, hands ripping him to pieces as more undead
crawl out of the dirt, “Sergeant, to me, to me!”

Krugger looks up, fear in his eyes as bony hands tear the
flesh from his body, “Help me!”

“Oh god!” Muller cries as chunks of meat and skin are ripped
from Krugger and his cries for help turn into shrieks of anguish.

Pilch jerks Muller out of the tunnel and Karl fires a round
from his long gun, hitting Krugger in the head. Monte throws in a grenade,
“Fire in the hole!”

The tunnel collapses in the explosion and Muller falls back
onto the stone floor.

“I’m sorry,” Monte tells him.

Muller looks up, tears in his eyes, “A baker, he was just a
baker,” he looks to Karl.

Karl is near tears, “I had to,” he looks down, upset.

“It’s OK son,” Muller says giving him a fatherly squeeze.

Pilch looks at Oddball talking softly with Vanessa and then
to Muller sitting on the floor.

He approaches Muller, “You saved my friend.”

Muller looks up.

“I ain’t got many left. Maybe you do have a worthwhile bone
in your stinking body after all,” and Pilch holds out his hand. Muller takes it
and Pilch pulls him up. The two turn around.

“Jesus Christ!” Pilch exclaims.

In the entrance chamber, Lewis claws his way up to the head
of the statue. He looks into the stone eyes of Belial and then struggles to
pull the necklace off his neck. He holds the necklace in one hand and looks
again into Belial’s eyes, “Forgive me,” and he puts the necklace on Belial and
then falls to the floor below with a sickening crunch.

Belial turns to flesh and steps from the pedestal. He grips
the mighty sword in his hand and looks down to Lewis.

“Please, you promised,” Lewis begs.

Belial smirks with an evil grin, “Yes, I did.”

Belial draws back to strike, and Lewis closes his eyes, “Thank
you.”

Belial strikes twice and walks toward the entrance tunnel.

“No, you promised!” Lewis screams, lying on the floor, both
his arms severed off beside him. A torso with no way to move.

“You promised!”

The group stands with the collapsed tunnel behind them in a vast,
vaulted treasure room. Gold, rubies, statues, every kind of treasure litter the
floor. Embedded in the walls are six life-sized statues of winged warrior women
with long dagger like nails and flowing hair.

“Holy shit!” Oddball exclaims.

“All the wealth of the world,” Muller muses.

Vanessa looks at a statue.

“They look like angels,” Pilch comments.

Vanessa points to the closest one, “Gargoyles.”

Pilch shrugs, “Still gorgeous.”

Vanessa looks closely at a statue. Monte sees a door on the
other side that Yusif is already moving toward, “Come on, let’s go.”

“I ain’t leavin’ without a souvenir. For my mom, of course,”
Oddball says as he picks up a coin and flips it into the air.

“No. It’ll slow you down,” Monte tells him.

Karl has walked to the center and is filling his pack with
treasure.

Yusif looks back from the door, “It is death to take from
them.”

“Who?” Pilch asks.

Yusif points to the statue that Vanessa is inspecting.

“I’m telling you, they ain’t gonna mind. Right, pal?” Oddball
tosses a coin at Karl to get his attention. Karl looks in his direction and
smiles.

“It looks so life-like; the quality is excellent,” Vanessa
touches the statue and jerks her hand back, “Oh my god! It’s not stone.”

“What is it?” Pilch asks her.

“It’s real,” she says quickly heading for the door.

“We’re leaving,” and Monte turns to leave.

Oddball turns to go, but when Monte can’t see, he scoops up
a handful of coins and pockets them. The ground trembles.

Muller is at the door, “Karl, leave it.”

“Not on your life,” he lifts the bag up over his shoulder
with a grunt. The ground rocks.

“That can’t be good,” Pilch says and runs for the door.

“Shit,” Monte yells.

A gargoyle slips from the wall landing on the ground, wings
flapping.

“They’re alive!” Muller screams to Karl.

Monte grabs Vanessa and pushes her out of the room. Oddball
runs for the door.

“Behind you!” Monte screams at him.

A gargoyle flies toward Oddball, who turns and throws a
handful gold coins at it, “I don’t want it; I don’t want it!” She dives at him,
claws extended. Oddball screams and ducks, and she sails over him.

“Run!” Monte screams waving Oddball on.

Three gargoyles descend on Karl.

“Sarge, help me!” Oddball shrieks as the gargoyle swings
around. Monte pulls Oddball through the door. The gargoyle is closing in on
them and as they burst through, Muller slams the door closed. They hear Karl’s
screams from the other side. The door crashes, and Muller is pushed back.

“I don’t think they’re staying inside.”

Yusif helps him hold the door. Another crash, and they both
are pushed back. Oddball jumps in to help. Three hits rock the door, knocking
the men down. A gargoyle stands in the doorway holding Karl’s severed head.
Monte levels his gun. The Gargoyle knocks him onto the ground and flies down
the hallway. Another steps out and looks at Oddball. The creature growls,
showing its sharp teeth. Oddball crawls back against the wall, “I’m sorry! I’m
sorry!” Oddball reaches in his pocket and starts throwing gold coins into the
room. The Gargoyle raises her hand back, ready to strike with razor sharp
claws, “Couple more.”

Monte levels his gun at her.

“I wouldn't,” Yusif advises him.

Monte looks to see the rest of the Gargoyles standing in the
doorway, ready to attack.

Monte looks to Oddball, “Sorry, son, you’re on your own.”

Oddball tosses in the last of the coins and looks into the
room, “There you go! That’s all of ‘em.” Oddball smiles. The Gargoyle stares at
him.

“Oh, shit,” Oddball says.

With a rush of air, the other Gargoyle flies back into the
room. Oddball cringes. The one in front of him leans down and waves her finger ‘no.’

“Yeah, got it. Real sorry, won’t happen again.”

She speaks in an ancient tongue and then scratches Oddball’s
cheek, just enough to draw blood. Oddball shakes with fear as she slams the
door closed. He lies back on the floor with a sigh.

Pilch smiles, “Think she’s fresh on you.”

Oddball looks over to him, “I wonder what she said.”

“Do not touch me, my possessions nor my heart,” Vanessa
translates.

“Trust me, I ain’t touchin’ nothing that bitch has got!”

Monte looks around the tunnel they’re now in. It’s lined
with human skulls from floor to ceiling. At the far end, a speck of red light
can be seen.

Pilch looks around at the skulls, “Must be thousands.”

“There is no end to man’s greed when it comes to gold,”
Yusif states, “And in this place, they must pay for it.”

Monte leads the way forward, “Let’s make sure we don’t
become wallpaper, too.”

Oddball looks to the light at the end of the tunnel, “That
don’t look like sunlight to me.”

Yusif nods, “We are almost there.”

Oddball stops, “So let me get this straight -- the door to
hell is just ahead, and you want us to just walk up and close it?”

Yusif nods and continues on.

Oddball shakes his head, “Something wrong with that guy.
He’s always too calm.”

Yusif leads them to an intersection and stops. He looks
ahead, toward the light.

“Look,” Pilch says and points to the wall where Karl's head
is surrounded by ancient skulls.

“Bastards,” Muller says.

“The door, we must hurry,” Yusif says.

From the other corridor, they hear the rush of running
boots. Monte looks toward the noise, “Go! We’ll keep them off your back.”

Yusif starts moving toward the light.

“Pilch, go with him,” Monte orders.

Pilch and Monte lock eyes, tension in the air. Pilch nods
and turns to go.

“Wait,” Monte says and Pilch turns back to find Monte’s hand
extended.

Oddball and Muller take up firing positions, preparing for
the onslaught. Oddball stares down his sights waiting, “Dear Mom. I’m standing
in a skull-lined cave under the desert. On one side of me is an army of undead.
On the other side, the gate to hell. Hope all is well back in Sioux Falls.
Love, Oddball.”

Vanessa shakes her head, “You certainly have a way with
words.”

“That’s what my drill sergeant told me.”

Vanessa looks to Oddball, Monte and Muller with weapons
ready, “Do you have an extra gun?”

Oddball hands her a pistol with a smile.

“Thanks,” and she kisses him on the lips.

Pilch stares at the hand for a long moment and then reaches
out to take it. The two men grip hands firmly.

“Go,” Monte tells him, and Pilch starts after Yusif.

“Stop!”

Pilch looks back to see Belial at the tunnel's entrance and runs
after Yusif.

Monte looks to Belial, “No stopping him now.”

Belial glares at Monte, “You will live to see the end of
days for this.”

Monte nods, “So be it,” and Monte shoots Belial in the head.