Outpost 321: Part 3

-Outpost 321: Part 3-

6 months after the incident

               "Shoot it," Krieg ordered. No sooner had the order been given, the opposing beast cried out. With a sudden burst of speed it hurled itself at them. Its deformed clawed hands were aimed right for Krieg's throat.

               The soldier's training kicked in before it was too late. Taking quick aim, Krieg lifted his pistol and fired off three shots. The bullets hit the monster dead center in its deformed chest. Its body stopped midair and crashed to the floor. Krieg did not double check to see if the enemy was dead. There were bigger concerns.

               The darkness around them was alive now, as more of the mutants crawled from the shadows and threw themselves into the fray. Sabre was barking loudly, joining in with the symphony of gunfire that now controlled the hallway. One demon ran along the ceiling. Its bottom jaw was missing and black blood dripped from its eyes. A quick burst from Hailey's rifle caught the monster in the eye, freeing the flesh from its skull.

               "We need to move!" Krieg ordered. He shoved past one of the monsters, shooting it in the mouth as he did. There was a hallway leading back towards the eastern wing. There was a chance that they could still make it. Krieg looked over his shoulder to see who was still with him in the chaos. Hailey was right behind, using her rifle's end to crush the skull of an oncoming enemy. Sabre's barking had ceased and the dog was nowhere to be seen. Andrew was pinned against the hallway wall by another one of the mutants. Krieg lifted his pistol and took aim, but slowly lowered it upon seeing that it would be a waste of ammo. Andrew's guts had been torn out and his assailant was elbow deep in his chest cavity. Flesh had been torn from the soldier's neck.

               Krieg did not spare the fallen comrade a second glance. He had been trained as a soldier. He could not hesitate even for a second. Krieg had seen death before. This would not be the last time.

               "Where are we going?" Hailey shouted. She spun on her heel and fired back into the darkness. The pained cries of the chasing demons replied as they got shot down.

               "Eastern wing," Krieg replied. He was running as fast as he could. There was no clue as to how many of the monsters resided inside of the base and where they would be waiting for them. The plan was to get the data they were sent for and then circle back to the exit. If they were lucky they could make it back to the ship without Sabre.

               "There's more coming!" Hailey screamed over her gunfire. They passed another hallway and Krieg could see the bodies moving in the darkness. They looked like ants coming from a hill as the deformed corpses clawed over one another.

               "We're almost there, just keep moving soldier." Krieg refused to look back over his shoulder.

               Hailey reloaded as she spoke, "We won't make it at this rate. I will stay and hold them back as long as possible. Just get to that room."

               "Don't be ridiculous! You'll be overrun in seconds and torn to shreds like Andrew!"

               "Yeah and with those few seconds you might just make it. Someone needs to tell the ministers about these....these....shades. Don't tell me you can't see it. They practically make up the darkness. Shells of once humans," Hailey scoffed. She made the decision for herself and stopped dead in her tracks. Krieg spared the female soldier a final look before shaking his head and continuing his sprint. It was foolish what she was doing, but she was also right. Krieg had not even traveled twenty feet before hearing the woman's pained screams echo down the hallway. He cringed. Was this meant to be his tomb as well?

               Slight relief took hold of him when he noticed the door he had been searching for. The shades were almost upon him now. He could practically feel their claws on his back. Using the last of his remaining strength, Krieg threw himself into the room. Scrambling to pick himself up, he slammed the door close. It shook violently as dozens of bodies slammed into it from the other side. Sweat dripped down Krieg's face as he used every muscle in his body to keep the entrance closed. The shades hollered and groaned as they tried to enter.

               With his foot, Krieg pulled a chair towards him. He had to act fast. In a swift motion he stood and slammed the chair under the doorknob. It would only hold for a few seconds. With limited time, Krieg wiped the computers off of the nearest metal desk. His screaming mixed with the shades as forced the makeshift blockade into position. The steel screeched and shuttered every time a new shade threw itself at the door.

               Krieg had no choice but to drown out the noise for now. The technicians room was full of laptops and servers. His eyes dashed over the nearest monitor, dread sinking in with every word that he read. The servers had been wiped four days ago. All information was lost. Krieg swore loudly and was half tempted to throw the computer. The entire mission had been a failure but he had to at least warn everyone about the monsters that had resided in Outpost 321.

               He typed as quickly as he could, fully aware that the door was ajar now. The shades' hands reached in, their long grey fingers trying to open the door even more. Krieg scanned his message to ensure that all of the important details had been stated. Satisfied, he added one final statement.

This will be the last message sent by Krieg Haywind. It was an honour serving.

               After confirming that the message had been sent, Krieg turned to face the door. He was just in time to see the desk shoved aside. Piles of shades clambered inside. Their broken jaws and bent fingers filled his vision as they collapsed on him.