Chapter 14

Morning comes quickly for the group and despite Gunnar’s previous night’s activities he is ready and waiting for the rest to fill in. Kate is the first to arrive with Harlan right behind. Caprice is the last, but after those activities, Gunnar isn’t surprised.

“We have a general idea where the Scourge headquarters are,” Gunnar begins once everything is settled in on the chairs placed before him. “Our goal is to rescue Audra. Of course if we can deal a major blow to the queen’s forces then we give General Eisley and the rest, including us, a chance to set up somewhere else and dig in.”

“What about that fancy chemical weapon you used at the base?” Harlan asks. “We got any of that?”

Gunnar nods. “We have what Zak was able to put together. It isn’t much, so we’ll have to use it where it’s going to count.”

“Do we got any intel on what we’re looking at?” Harlan asks.

“I’m going to be honest with you,” Gunnar says, running a hand through his hair as he looks to the large man and then to the two others. “We’re going in blind. So anyone one of you that wish to not go on, don’t have to.”

Harlan, Kate and Caprice all look at each other. None of them give voice contrary to them going. Gunnar smiles at them. These are good friends. They have his back and he theirs, no matter what this crazy war brings down upon them.

“Very well,” he says. “How is the fuel?”

“We’re topped off,” Kate informs. “We have enough to get there, do what we have to and then get back.”

“What about catching up with the general?” Harlan asks, showing concern. “I got your back man, but I ain’t doing no suicide mission.”

“We have a couple barrels of fuel left,” Kate comforts him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “It will be enough to catch up to the rest when we’re done.”

“Alright then, folks,” Gunnar says. “Caprice has the weapons and gear stored. It’s time to leave.”

They all climb inside and Kate powers up the craft. The helicopter roars to life, driving the rotor blades. Kate looks to Gunnar, who flashes her a thumbs up, and then they are off, leaving the ground behind.

The trip runs smooth. Harlan sits with Kate, conversing with her as she flies. Caprice catches up on the sleep she missed out on the night before. It was perhaps reckless what they did, with an important mission looming before them the following day, but it was something Gunnar and she needed. Gunnar finds himself staring at the young woman. She looks far younger than her seventeen years and quite attractive. She is definitely a good distraction from missing the woman he really loves.

They fly over jungle covered cities, red fungal covered cities and even fungus covered, jungle covered cities. Mostly the view from above is just jungle. The fungus typically grows only to a certain height, but even then patches of it can be seen every so often. It serves as a reminder that they are still fighting against something no matter how beautiful things my look from above.

“Holy hell,” Harlan says after a while, breaking from his conversation with Kate. “What the fuck is that?”

Towering above the jungle, the size of a skyscraper is a huge, red fungal pillar. The phallic structure stands like a monument against the sun glazed backdrop of the open sky. As the helicopter flies closer, the team can see the naked, writhing bodies of breeders permanently melded into the sides. Some of them are even giving birth with small tentacles delivering the babies. It looks more like a place of worship than a base of operations. Those not giving birth have their holes filled continuously, kept in a constant sexual arousal.

Everyone looks at the scene below in horror. “Fuck. That queen bitch don’t care what those people go through,” Harlan says in a menacing tone. “Bitch just wants to spread her legs as far as she can.”

“Over there!” Gunnar says, pointing. At the very top of the structure is a hole. If the group didn’t know better, they could easily mistake the tower as a planet sized phallus. “We’ll dump the chemical there!”

“Right down its fucking throat! Boo-ya!” Harlan shouts triumphantly.

Kate turns the helicopter and heads straight for the tower. As they get closer, they can appreciate just how big it is and the architecture, in terms of the Scourge’s ability. The helicopter is like an annoying insect to the colossus. Grimly, the team prepares for the final leg of their mission, maybe even the war.

The helicopter bears down at the fungus structure. Gunnar and Caprice each grasp two glass bottles containing the chemical mixture and wait at the hatch. Kate steadies the craft when it is directly over their target. She nods to Gunnar.

“Let the bitch have it!” he exclaims.

They throw the glass containers with all their might at the hole. For long seconds they hurl toward it before several thick, red tentacles fly outward, knocking the bottles away.

“Fucking hell...” Harlan cries from the front seat.

“The queen knows we’re here, Gunnar,” Kate announces over her shoulder. “Taking evasive action.” She pulls on the stick, swaying the craft to the side and away.

Unfortunately, the helicopter, nor the base, had any weapons for it. The team couldn’t find a single missile or bullet—just the fuel. Gunnar realizes that without any weapon to counter the Scourge’s defenses, they are just sitting ducks. “Get us out of here!” he shouts toward Kate, but it is already too late.

Despite Kate’s exceptional piloting skills, she cannot avoid the tower’s defenses. Tendrils have ahold of the skids, causing the craft to lurch in the air. “It’s no use!” she shouts. “It already has us.” The tendrils climb higher, seeking entrance into the small craft while others head for the rotors and engine. “I can’t pull away!”

The craft starts to careen wildly downward. Caprice watches in horror as Gunnar is pitched out of the doorway. “No!” she screams as the man plunges down through the canopy and out of view. Harlan grabs her up in her massive arms, keeping her from following a similar path. There is a tremendous crash seconds later, and then silence.

Kate groans as she lifts her head. Looking around, she sees Harlan and Caprice lying outside the helicopter. Slowly, she pulls her bruised and battered body out of the seat and then the craft. She stumbles over to Harlan first. She can’t fight back the tears that come on. One look at the man is enough—his neck has been snapped. She looks past him, fighting the urge to just drop down beside him and mourn him. In the grass, just a few feet away, is Caprice. Her lithe form doesn’t move and Kate begins to fear the girl was lost too.

Then she moves.

Kate’s heart fills with some joy. At least they’re not all dead. At least she isn’t alone. She skirts around Harlan’s body and settles next to the girl. “You okay?”

Caprice groans and nods. Kate helps her to her feet. Except for the small cut on her head, the girl seems to be fine. “Harlan saved me,” she mumbles. “Is he...” That is when she sees the man still lying flat on the ground.

“He’s dead,” Kate says in a whisper. “And if we don’t get out of here, we are too.” She grabs the girl’s arm and starts to pull her toward the jungle.

“What about Gunnar?” Caprice asks, jerking her arm away. “We can’t just leave him!”

“He’s dead too!” Kate shouts, the tears gushing forward. “You saw him fall. There’s no way he survived. We’re all that’s left.”

“But the Scourge hasn’t attacked yet,” the girl argues. “Surely they would be here by now. The queen must think we’re dead.”

Kate pulls her sidearm abruptly, making Caprice’s eyes go wide. The girl holds up her hands and starts to mumble. “They’re here,” Kate grinds out.

The four stalkers and several dozen chasers all slip out from the jungle in a circle, surrounding the two women. The Scourge isn’t taking any chances.

“What do we do?” Caprice asks as her head and eyes dart around.

“We take as many of the fuckers out with us as we can,” Kate answers, lifting her pistol into the air.

Gunnar slowly wakes up, groggy from the fall. He should be dead, but as he looks around, he sees the trees broke his fall. Leaves and branches are all around and under him. He stands and his first reaction is his hand moving to his sidearm. He finds the holster empty, assuming it fell out during the fall. Instead, he reaches lower, pulling out a boot knife. It isn’t much of a weapon, but it is better than nothing at all.

But even with the knife, Gunnar is unable to defend himself. He doesn’t see the tentacle appear behind him. It hit him squarely in the back of his head. Before he knows it, the ground like before, comes rushing up toward him.

Gunnar wakes sometime later. As he opens his eyes, he feels something strange within him. His head feels like it is in the clouds and his body feels like its burning. Once his eyes focus, he takes note of his nakedness and the throbbing, raging erection between his legs. First he doesn’t think that it’s his, but soon he connects the burning hot sensation to the new urge to fuck and the palpitations in his firm member.