Chapter 9

To back into the swing of things, Audra was taken on her first patrol. She has several soldiers accompanying her, including Kate. Unlike Gunnar’s recon patrols where he often went solo, this is a patrol of the surrounding area. The group is led by Major Zola, a stern woman who has been with the group and General Eisley since the beginning. She is in her early forties and still retains a lot of her beauty despite the peppering of grey in her chestnut colored hair.

“This patrol is routine,” she says, briefing the squad. “We will be going close into territory known to be frequented by the Scourge. So we very may well run into a stalker and chasers.” With that, she orders the quad onto an armored transport and soon they are on their way.

Audra and Kate talk together for most of their trip. Kate introduces Audra to some of the other soldiers including Sergeant Rick Stone. “The sergeant here is the one you want to have your back,” Kate says giving her a wink. “He has saved my ass more time than I can count.”

“Someone has to look out for it,” says the large, burly man. “Cause you sure as hell don’t.”

The three let out a hearty laugh. Audra finds it nice that the camaraderie between everyone at the base allows for jokes and conversations like this. For the first time in a long time, she not only feels safer, but that there is hope for a future.

The jungle around them eventually becomes far too overgrown for the transport to go any farther, forcing the group to disembark. Once that is done, the driver is given orders to remain there and keep watch over it. The remainder of the squad is then ordered into the interior.

“Watch each other’s back,” Zola says. “And watch your weapon’s fire. I don’t want any friendly fire.”

They move one. Audra feels a little apprehensive as the green jungle gives way to red fungus growth. She knows that the fungus doesn’t give any threat so long as it doesn’t have a way of getting in like a cut or abrasion. Even so, she almost jumps at even the slightest rustling noise.

Kate touches her shoulder and tries to soothe her. “Relax,” she says. “I don’t it’s your first time out in ages, but stay calm and nothing will go wrong.”

Audra nods her head and feels ashamed to let her fears show so readily. She had done this hundreds of times in the past. So what if the Scourge had manipulated me, used me, made me its prisoner? I can do this. I can show the Scourge that it can’t have me. She steels herself and marches on.

After a couple hours of trekking through the dense, fungus covered jungle, the squad enters a clearing. Zola calls for a halt and chooses four of her team for watch. The remainder takes a break, breaking out rations and water.

Audra is thankful for the break and quickly sits down, peeling open her rations. She gulps down water from her canteen and starts to eat voraciously. The rations aren’t that great, but she is hungry enough to eat just about anything placed before her. Kate sits next to her and soon they are joined by another couple of the soldiers they engaged in conversation on the transport.

Suddenly there comes a shout from close by. “Scourge!” one of the guards exclaims. “We’re under attack!”

All head spin to where the shout comes from and the jungle suddenly becomes alive with movement.

“Stay calm!” Sergeant Stone orders. “Everyone form a circle!”

The squad moves quickly into position. And suddenly a figure tears from out of the undergrowth.

“Hold your fire!” Stone shouts, upon recognizing the man as one of theirs.

Relief shows on the man’s face. Less than a second later he says, “They’re right behind me!”

Abruptly, the jungle erupts around them as stalkers and chasers come into view. They advance on the small group quickly.

“Fire!” This time the command is from Zola.

The jungle resounds with gunfire and flamethrower blasts. Fear mixed with excitement course through Audra.

“Short bursts!” Stone yells over the roar of the gunfire. “Conserve your ammo!”

Audra relaxes her trigger slightly. She hadn’t realized that she was going full blast until the sergeant said something. She takes a deep breath and focuses. She aims at an advancing chaser and mows it down, tearing its fungus body apart. She turns and blasts the stalker tailing it.

All around her, Audra can see stalkers and chasers being ripped apart or burned into char. Her comrades unleash spray after spray of bullet and liquid fire. But the Scourge still gets close, too close. She hears a scream as a tendril snakes out toward them. It quickly wraps around one of the squad. Before any of them knows it, it is too late. The tendril hurls the unfortunate soldier like a rag doll against a tree, killing him instantly. Behind her, Audra hears another solider taken by the Scourge.

“Close the circle,” Stone orders. “Keep them back!”

Audra lays another line of fire as Kate takes a grenade and hurls it into the throng of chaser with their wicked tendrils in front of her. It detonates with a mighty roar, blowing the fungus creatures apart. Her victory, however, is short lived. Tendrils slither forward and entwine her before pulling her away.

“No!” screams Audra. She immediately gives pursuit, drawing her machete.

“Get back here, Audra!” Zola orders. When she realizes that the young woman isn’t listening, she shouts, “Cover her!”

A hail of bullets splatters around Audra, spraying any chaser that comes close with bullet holes. Audra reaches her friend and swings her machete with all her might. It crashes down to the ground and slices through the red fungal tendril holding her friend in two. Quickly lifting Kate to her feet, they run for the circle, which is now littered with half their original number.

Zola shakes her head upon seeing Audra, but remains silent as she continues to pour gunfire into the attacking Scourge. “Brave what you did,” Stone says when the two women settle in next to him. “But she is going to have no choice but report this to command.”

Audra frowns, but she realizes she did disobey an order. She nods her head and turns her attention and fire to the still advancing Scourge force. After a few more minutes of battle, The Scourge realizes that their losses are far greater than their enemies. The stalkers break off their attack and disappear back into the cover of the jungle. The chasers stay long enough to ensure the other’s retreat before turning and running themselves. A few of the soldiers make to follow but are stopped by Zola’s order to halt.