Dust Chronicles Issue 4

dust chronicles issue 4 the waking bear part 4
1
“W-what are they waiting for?” Bauer whispered,
staring right back at the wall of cold, unnatural
death.
Before anyone could answer, a feeling of dread,
colder than the frigid winter air, swept down the
tunnel. As the goose flesh stood out on the men,
the Axis Zombies started shuffling restlessly,
and then the group slowly parted as a new shadow,
deeper and darker then the tunnel emerged
from behind them.
The figure was slight, dressed in a slick leather
coat and boots all of black, a black rubber hooded
gas mask completely covered the face and
head. It’s left arm ended in a strange metal device
studded with instruments of unguessable,
arcane purpose, a sickly greenish mist emanating
from vents and seams. A deep disquieting sense
of wrongness and loathing slithered through the
bellies of Miller and his men as they realized
that the figure’s booted feet didn’t touch the
ground as it moved, floating a few inches above
the surface. Indeed, it almost seemed as if the
very earth contracted shrinking away from the
touch of such an unnatural creature...
Bile rose in Miller’s throat at the sight of this
creature, as with a churning nausea, he realized
there was a certain, undefinable feminine quality
about the apparition.
There was a moment of silence as Miller’s men
stared at the Axis abominations, and they stared
right back. Then the Zombies began to shift and
hiss, and the men could feel the tension rising.
The black clad creature suddenly raised its encased
left arm with a flare of green light, and
the Zombie horde leaped forward with a howl,
charging down the platform!
Orders entirely unnecessary, the four men
raised their shotguns and started blasting as fast
as they could work the slides of their weapons!
At this range, only one Zombie went down to a
solid hit to the face, others had chunks of desiccated
flesh and tattered uniform blown off in
showers of icor, but these wounds didn’t slow
them a step! In a few heartbeats, the Zombies
had cleared nearly half the distance to the men!
“Fall back! Run for the south tunnel!” Miller
roared over the gunfire, “Move!” He fired one
more shot, taking the leg off a Zombie in front,
the falling creature snarling the legs of the two
behind who went down in a tangle of limbs.
Then he too turned and ran, pushing Pinski
ahead of him.
Malone ran as hard as he could, the ammo tube
of his shotgun empty, his breath wheezing, but
he had little hope. He and Miller had faced these
creatures before, in Italy he had seen them run
down fleeing men in jeeps over short distances,
and knew there was no way the men would out
run them. As Private Pinski, young, strong, and
scared witless, ran past him, Manny saw the two
flamer tanks swaying on his back and an insane
idea flashed through his brain!
Pinksi almost fell as Malone yanked the extra
tank from his shoulder with a shouted, “Thanks
kid!”