The Horse Soldier: Beginnings Series Book 10 (65 page)

It had to be the scariest sound Henry heard as he neared the last warehouse that set with
its rear entrance flush against a small wooded area. Grunting. Animal grunting. Henry broke a sweat, holding out his gun. He knew that sound well. He leaned against the wall, inching his way slowly to the vocal sound he knew belonged to Marcus.

He raised his weapon
, fearing so much what he would see when he turned to the back of the building. He feared he would see Joey’s body in a sick resemblance to Hank and Marv. The corner of the building grew closer and so did the grunts and then . . . another voice. Joey’s.

“They’ll think you’re me. It will work.” Joey’s too deep voice spoke.

Every ounce of tension left Henry’s body and he lowered his gun. He peeked around the bend and saw Marcus and Joey hiding. Joey wore clothes way too big for him. Clothes--that by the giveaway horizontal stripes--belonged to Marcus. And Marcus wore ripped clothing that belonged to Joey. Clothing Joey must have squeezed on him and it ripped in doing so. That explained the shredded clothes and the blood on Joey’s nostril explained the blood on the shirt. Joey’s famous nosebleeds. Henry smiled as he listened to Joey explain how they could get away with him living with Melissa and Marcus living with Ellen. How they really looked alike.

Henry moved back and grabbed his radio. “Robbie
, stop the search. I found them. They’re fine.”

“Got it
, Henry, but me and the men are gonna search the area while we’re here.”

“Why?” Henry asked.

“Tracking was picking something up past the field. It’s time to end this thing. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah. O.K., let me grab these two boys
. I’ll bring them to Tracking with me and see what’s going on.”

“Henry . . . Henry. Watch Joey with your life. O.K.?”

“With my life.” Henry hooked his radio to his belt and, before he showed himself, he called out. “No one is in trouble, Don’t run away from me.”

“Shh.” Joey inched to Marcus. “Watch. It’s
Uncle Henry.” He saw Henry come from around the building.

“We have to go to Tracking. Can you guys come with me? Wanna see the beeps? Joey?”

Joey deepened his voice more and graveled it. “I’m Marcus. And this is Joey.” He nudged Marcus.

Marcus squealed.

“O.K. Marcus.” Henry nodded his head to Joey. “Let’s go.”

Even at his height of six foot two, the high grass in the field came up past Robbie’s chest, hindering his movement. “Anyone? Anything? Cole?”

“Nope.”

“Dan.”

“Nothing.”

“Jeff?”

“Nada”

“Bert?”

“Ernie.”

Robbie snickered. “Asshole. Tracking come in. Mark, you seeing anything?”

“Whatever it is, is still at the end of that field. It’s at a
standstill, Robbie. Well, it looks like they are at a standstill. Hold on. Henry just walked in,” Mark said.

Henry shut the door
, walked to the monitor and leaned over Mark’s shoulder. “Nothing?”

Mark’s finger touched the screen. “See they’re staying . . .”

“Shit.” Henry grabbed the radio. “Robbie, come in.”

“Yeah?” Robbie answered.

“Whatever it is, is moving your way.”

Robbie heard the fast ruffling. “I hear it.” He whispered into the headset. “Gentleman
, get ready.”

“Robbie
,” Henry spoke rapidly. “They’re moving fast. I think you should pull back.”

“I think we should end this right . . .” A scream. Bert’s scream was heard and Robbie spun to see the movement in the grass followed by a geyser of blood. “Fuck!”

“Robbie, what’s happening?”

There was a
nother scream, another movement of grass, and more blood.

“Pull out!” Robbie ordered “Pull out now!”

“Robbie,” Henry called out. “What’s happening?”

“Something’s up here
, Henry.” Robbie waited for his men and then he saw Jack in the middle of his run disappear into the high grass, scream, and then nothing. “Henry, we lost another one.”

Henry hand slid down his face as he heard the screams and gunfire. “Robbie
, get out of there! Get out now.”

Robbie couldn’t see what it was that was doing it. His aim went in circles as he shifted around watching Cole, Dan, and Jeff run his way. “Move it! Move it.!” He waved his free arm.

“Robbie, get out of there.”

“I’m seeing something!” Robbie raised his weapon as he watched the grass move at an incredibly high speed in a seeming
ly chase after Jeff. “Jeff run!”

Jeff moved his legs as fast as he could but he made one error. He thought he could get what it was. In a backwards run
, he raised his weapon.

And then Robbie saw what it was. They leaped up from the grass
and dove at Jeff. Jeff went down.

“Oh my God.” Robbie raced to Jeff as did Cole and Dan.

“Robbie, get out of there.”

“I see them
, Henry.” Robbie raised his weapon. “I see . . .”

Jeff sprang up from the grass, screaming
. His rifle swung out and he spun around as he desperately fought to free the sharp tooth jaws that were attached to his face. His hands gripped its body pulling at it.

Robbie had a clear shot. So did Cole and Dan
, a clear shot of the one that had Jeff and the ones that now dined on the bodies of Bert and the other two. But Robbie couldn’t bring himself to shoot. None of them could. “Henry . . . Henry . . . they’re babies.”

The radio dropped from Henry’s hand.

Mark looked up. “Did he just say babies?”

Henry grabbed the radio cringing at Jeff’s scream. “Babies?”

“Marcus . . . plural. They look like baby Marcus’s. Oh God there’s . . .” Robbie shouted in the radio over Jeff’s scream, and the grunting and squealing that became the painful background noise. “There’s ten, twelve. Oh God Twenty.”

“Shot them!” Henry ordered.

“I can’t. They’re babies.” Robbie inched to Jeff.

“Robbie sh
oot them. They are killers.”

Robbie felt the pain in his throat
. His eyes shifted to Cole and Dan. “We have to.”

Dan. looked panicked. “They’re babies.”

Robbie closed his eyes briefly as he brought the scope of the rifle to his view. “God forgive me.” His finger depressed on the trigger. The bullet sail into the rippled and thick leg of the Marcus that clenched on to Jeff. The baby squealed loudly and flew off. “Grab him and fire.”

Robbie, Cole
, and Dan raced for Jeff ,firing. A Marcus leaped at Robbie. He caught glimpse of the fast moving blur coming at him. His fist raised in a fast swatting action, hitting the tough skin creature like a baseball, but not before he felt the sear of his skin as the Marcus teeth grazed against his cheek before it hit the ground.

Cole and Dan lifted Jeff with one hand while firing blankly into the field at the numerous genetically altered babies which scattered away from their prey but not without taking some with them.

Robbie fired also as they all backed up as fast as they could. “We can’t get them all.”

Henry listened with his eyes tightly closed and his hand
gripped the radio so hard he could have broken it. His head was lowered as he heard the gunfire. “Just . . . just move out.”

There was silence.

Henry’s head lifted. He was filled with fear. “Robbie. Robbie, come in.”

More silence.

“Robbie.”

A hiss of static and Robbie’s emotional voice came through along with the sound of a running
Jeep. “Oh God, Henry, we lost three. . . Down . . . down the gate. We’re bringing in Jeff.”

Robbie wiped the blood from his cheek as he drove then looked behind him to Cole and Dan who held on to Jeff in the back of the Jeep. Was it really Jeff? If Robbie hadn’t seen him go down, he would have never recognized him. It wasn’t the massive amount of blood that covered Jeff’s face that made him unrecognizable. It was the lack of Jeff’s face that caused it.

^^^^

It was in the distance as Hal and Richie pulled to the train station. The locomotive
was rolling down the tracks and away from them.

Hal looked over to the speedometer as Richie drove. “You can catch it.”

“What?”

‘Hit the gas
. You can catch it.”

“The train
?”

“Yes.”

“Then what?” Richie looked at Hal as his foot depressed the gas pedal.

“Pass it. Just do it.”

The Jeep jolted as Richie shifted gears and neared it. “I hope you don’t want me to pull on the tracks cause I have news for you, Hal This Jeep won’t stop it.” He looked over to see Hal loading a clip into a gun. “Neither will those bullets.”

Joe realized it wasn’t a time to be impatient but the insensitive side of him had to be
. He looked at his watch then pushed open the operating doors a little. “Dean?’

“Joe
, please,” Dean said as he operated. “A few more minutes.”

Joe whistled as he shut the door and looked
at Jess. “We’re screwed.”

“Yep.” Jess looked at his watch. “Big time, cause them things are gonna wake up in fifteen minutes.”

The movement, the pain, the whistle. Whatever it was that brought Frank to consciousness, he was grateful. He groaned as he held onto his head and sat up. He looked at the crates that surrounded him and then shifted his eyes around. He could see the outside moving. “God.” As he stumbled to his feet, he felt for a gun. He had none. Swearing in his mind, he assessed the situation. He could see the back of the car he was in and there weren’t any behind him. The door at the end could be his escape but Frank couldn’t let himself do it. He knew George was on that train and he wasn’t leaving without taking him down. But first he had to get out of that car.

Frank laughed a ‘ha.’ and thought how stupid could they be. He spotted the guard’s back through the window of the door to the train. “That’s my guard.” He smirked and
sneaked up to the door. Hunching down, he reached up and felt the glass. Frank smiled. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around his right fist. As he stood, his left hand crossed over and gripped onto the handle of the sliding door.

With a grin Frank sprang to his feet.
He grunted loudly as he crashed his shirt-covered hand through the glass, shattered it, and gripped the head of the guard. He yanked his head through the broken window and slid the door open with a vengeance at the same time. It was a Frank-style, sideways guillotine and the head of the guard rolled to the floor.

The wind of the moving train hit Frank as he pulled the body in
and took the rifle. There was some blood on his shirt but Frank didn’t care. He placed it back on and stepped from the car. It was time to find George.

Next car.

Standing off to the side, Frank peeked in. Two soldiers. Easy enough. With the butt of the rifle, Frank broke the window, spun the weapon, aimed, and fired two shots. Biting his bottom lip and nodding with arrogance, Frank slid that door open and walked in.

It must not have dawned on Frank at that instant that sound traveled
, because his firing was an alarm that alerted other soldiers. “What the fuck?” Frank blurted, surprised when the far end of the car he was in opened and a brigade of soldiers plowed in. He began to fire, backing up and running out the back of the train. He slid the door shut--as if that would help--and heard the sear of a bullet as it sailed closely to his ear. His eyes caught the ladder on the side of the car and Frank clenched it, swung out, and climbed up.

“There!” Richie pointed to Frank
, seeing him run over top of the car.

“He’s trying to escape. Honk the horn. Alert him.”

Richie honked. “What the hell?”

Frank disappeared when he made it to the end of the car.

“Richie, speed it up.”

It was a wide, open-mouth grin that graced Frank’s face as he looked up the car he just climbed from to see the awkwardly moving soldiers running his way. How stupid he thought they were. All they had to do was turn around and they would have had him. But instead that chased him out and over the car.

Frank looked into the window of the next car and if it was possible, his grinned widened.

George.

Frank didn’t have a clear shot, A soldier stood with him
, but all he had to do was take out that soldier and he could get George. Break the window and shoot.

Crash, pump, fire. Down went the soldier.
Totally enjoying the panicked look on George’s face, Frank--feeling like Jason from Friday the Thirteenth--slid open the door, looking like the homicidal maniac going after his victim.

Frank pumped the chamber and fired. Nothing.

George took that momentary opportunity and bolted toward the next door. Frank dropped the rifle, charged out with two steps, leaped forward, and sailed into George. They crashed on the floor of the moving train just as the back door of George’s car burst open and the remaining soldiers that had chased Frank before came in.

Frank jumped up
, bringing George with him as a shield. He backed up to the door, holding George in a brace to his neck. “I’ll snap his neck!” Frank yelled out.

The soldiers all aimed.

“Nah.” Frank smiled. “Better yet.” Still holding George with his right arm, Frank raised his left, and in it was the syringe. With his teeth, he uncapped it. “Bye-bye, George.” Frank grunted slightly or a dramatic effect and George screamed painfully when the needle of the syringe stabbed into his neck and Frank plunged the liquid into him. Frank slid the door behind him opened and shoved George forward to the soldiers. Frank then raced to the next car but not without being chased.

The
Jeep flew passed the train and Hal could see Frank running and looking up as he did. “He’s looking for a ceiling hatch.”

“Should I go back
? We’re near the front of the train.”

“No.” Hal stood up and moved to the back of the
Jeep.

“What are you doing
?”

“Pull as close as you can to the train.”

“What?”

“Do it.”

“Oh God.” Richie was never one to drive with his eyes closed, but he felt like he wanted to at that moment. He neared so closely to the train that he felt the heat of the locomotive. “Hal, don’t . . .”

“Stay close by.” Hal balanced and reached out
. “Ready and . . .” he leaped from the Jeep, catching the ladder of the second to first car. His body swung back and forth as the Jeep moved out and turned around. Hal stopped swinging enough to climb up.

In Frank’s run he saw the Jeep with Richie driving. He looked back then moved to the window, pounding against it.

Richie saw him and pointed up.

Frank nodded with a thumbs up. He looked at the ceiling hatch, keeping his eyes peered on Richie. He couldn’t figure out who Richie was honking and indicating to at that moment, but Frank knew he was screwed when the back door to that car slid open and the firing began.

Hal nodded to Richie as he leaped in his run to the moving car Frank was in. He spotted the open ceiling hatch and dropped to his stomach, extending his red gloved hand in. “Frank, come on.”

Frank saw the UWA glove and gripped the hand that levered him up. Another hand braced his arm and Frank scurried to the roof of the train
, kicking the hatch closed with his foot.

Hal fell backwards from the force of pulling Frank up.
The combination of his loss of balance and the moving train caused Hal to roll. Just as he sailed face forward off the side, the speeding ground so close, he felt a grip to his ankle and the weight of his body being snatched back up. The metal edge of the train slid against his gut as he was pulled to safety. On his stomach, he caught his balance. When he felt his ankle released, he began to roll himself over.

“Are you . . . UH!” Frank shrieked in the shock of seeing Hal.

“Frank.”

“Fuck. Hal!”

“We have to get out of here.”

“Hal!”

“Frank!” Hal’s eyes shifted.

“Hal!”

“Frank!”

“What!”

“SUTs.”

Frank looked. “Fuck.”

Both Slagels, who still weren’t standing, grabbed the roof and stood. At the end of the car, shooting and coming their way, were soldiers.

They took off running toward the front of the car.

“Climb down!” Frank ordered as he passed Hal going over the edge in a jump and gripping the ladder.

Hal repeated Frank’s actions and both brothers held on to the rungs. They could hear the tromping of the soldiers coming their way. “Now what
, Frank?”

“Jump?”

Hal looked to the moving ground then up above him. “Sure, why not?”

“Ready?”

“You first.”

“Ha! Baby. Move with the train.” Frank took a breath and jumped in the same direction that the train moved. Seconds after
ward, he started rolling on the ground, away from the train. Hal was rolling right along with him. They rolled for while and when they stopped, the train was moving onward.

Frank picked himself up, lifting Hal and embracing him. “Oh my God.”

Hal grinned. “I’m still moving, wait.”

“No.” Frank swung hi
m around. “God, look at you.” Frank kissed his brother. “Man.”

As Hal was set to his feet
, he saw Richie pull up. “Come on, Frank. We have to go back and help Dad.”

“Dad? Dad’s here?” Frank asked as they ran to the
Jeep.

“Yeah.” Hal said, jumping in.

“Does he know you’re alive?”

Hal’s mouth open
ed then shut. He bit his bottom lip and looked at Richie. “Drive faster, Richie.”

“Jesus Christ, Dean, come on,” Joe yelled.

Jess looked at his watch. “Time
’s up.”

Dean held a knapsack. “Let me finish getting supplies to keep him alive.”

Joe’s hand covered his face.

“SUTs.” Hal stated as he, Frank, and Richie pulled to the side gate.

Frank fluttered his lips. “If we had the weaponry
, we could take them.”

“Nah.” Hal smiled. “Let’s just stun them.”

“Stun them?” Frank questioned.

“Yeah.” Hal inched his way back to the woods. “Stun them and walk right in.”

Frank nodded. “That’ll work. How?”

Hal uncovered the descrambler. He pressed the button.

Frank closed off his ears at the annoying bird like whistle. He leaned to a silent Richie, whispering, “When we go find my Dad, you know what to do. Right?”

Richie nodded.

^^^^