Chapter 89

Okay, on reflection and from the reactions calling plan was definitely a stretch.

It boiled down to the simple fact that we needed to either get out or wear down the numbers against us. To that end, I would stand just outside the storefront and act as bait, luring in the most aggressive of the ghouls. The hope was to either kill or wound the goals enough to draw in the alpha. Then grey and hills would help me hopefully kill the thing scattering the pack.

Yes, this was a definite stretch at best.

I stood now just outside the storefront doorway, looking into the fog for any signs of movement. There had been a few minutes earlier, but since I had just left the building, it had gone quiet and still again.

My axe and shield had been altered from the composite material once that had been issued on my last mission. Due to my increased strength, these new ones were made heavier and stronger. When I first picked them up, I noticed the weight difference straightaway, but as I became accustomed to them, I hardly noticed it like the old armaments.

I stood opposed, ready to meet any attack, my breathing calm and my attention focused. My body, especially my legs, tensed, ready to act. The fog was swirling and drifting in its typical sedate manner. Behind me, I could hear mutters of conversation and movement as the others got into position to support me. I took the opportunity to quickly train my head back a bit to the side to look up, as I didn’t want to be ambushed from above.

So far, all clear.

To my right, I noted the hint of movement deep within the fog at the limits of my vision.

“All right, here we go.” I said out loud to notify the people behind me that it was about to begin.

The ghoul came charging out from the fog. It was a female and was moving in fast and low. This manner of attacking gave it the best option either to go for my legs or would jump at me.

With my attention now on it, I noticed something which I found odd. Ghouls are usually a lot faster than this. It expected me to hold my ground and brace for the attack. Well, not today!

Just as it reached the range for it to commit to its attack, either on my legs or my upper body, I pushed forward, propelled by my tense legs. I catch you by surprise, it seems, by the speed of my movement and it collides with the flat of my shield headfirst. The force of the impact travelled through my body, but I knew what was coming and was ready.

The stench of decay and rot hits me as I am close enough to smell it. When I first started doing this a few years ago, I would have been gagging from the smell, but now I just push it out of my mind and press the attack.

The ghoul’s face was bloodied and black blood was smeared over it from the force of the impact and it was stunned. I pressed my advantage. I swung my axe towards its head, looking for the killing blow.

It was not, however, as stunned as I had hoped. My axe was about to collide; it jerked its body to its right course in my axe to collide with its shoulder. My axe blade cleaved deep into the flesh and shattered the bones underneath. Black blood splattered in all directions. Most of it hits my shield and left arm holding the axe.

“ARGHHHHHHHH.” The ghoul screamed out.

This caused the second ghoul to charge from the fog, supporting the first male this time. Like the first, it was coming at me but this time in a headlong charge. Again, I noted it was not as fast as ghouls I have faced in the past as I took back the axe head, causing even more damage to the first ghoul’s body. It collapsed back due to its injury, but I knew it was not out of the fight yet.

I quickly turned on my heels and advanced to meet the second ghoul. As it was throwing itself as recklessly forward as the first, I angled my shield thrust forward with its side. This shield was one of the new composites that are now standard issues. Thanks to Lou, the same size and round as the wooden one that I used to use, it had a reinforced steel edge, making it an effective bludging weapon. The ghoul found this out as it ran straight into the shield edge, unable to stop.

The impact was worse than the first, as the ghoul I hit was much heavier and moving a bit faster. The kinetic energy of the impact travelled at my arm and into my shoulder, forcing me to grit my teeth a bit against the pain. One of its claws raked along the front of my chest armour, only scratching the surface from what I could tell as I could not look down at the moment.

The ghoul’s face was pulverised by the force of the impact to a greater extent than the first. The stench had only increased with the second ghoul joining the fight. I ignore it and press my advantage.

As with the first, I go with the killing blow straight to the head. I need to knock this one out of the fight or injure it badly as fast as possible. The force of our collision and its injury had caused it to stagger back several steps. I quickly followed it swinging my axe down hard and fast. The increased weight of the axe head did far more damage than my old one used to. The impact of connection travelled this time through my left arm as the axe head caved the skull of the ghoul before me. Black blood and brain matter splatter again in all directions.

The nature of the injury and the force of its delivery because the ghoul’s body collapsed to the floor. It dragged me forward a step as my axe was still buried in its head, causing me to overbalance slightly.

I hear movement behind me and quickly step away from it but not quickly enough. The first ghoul was back on the attack with its remaining arm. Its claw raked along my right shoulder blade armour section. I did not feel penetration and spun around to face it. Its right side was an absolute mess; the shoulder was damaged so severely that the arm was hanging loose at its side. This, however, did not stop it from pressing its attack with its sole clawed hand.

I had been pushed back a few steps by the initial attack and my turning to face it, but now I dug my heels in. I quickly got my shield in the way of its attack and it just kept coming in a frenzied assault. The shield was holding up really well against the attacks I blocked. The front will be damaged but not as bad as my old wooden one would have been.

The ghoul just kept attacking, but now I was blocking its attack. I could feel the impacts travelling up my right arm, but it was nothing that was concerning me at the moment. Looking over the top edge of my shield, I waited for my moment. I waited until it pulled back to attack again and then pushed forward.

I rammed my shield into its body and head, knocking it back so hard that it fell over onto its back on the ground. Prone as it now was, I used the situation to my advantage and its head was quickly introduced to my axe. Black blood and brain matter splattered from the force of the impact. Some of it hit my faceplate this time but not enough to hamper my vision.

I quickly stood up, scanning around me for threats, breathing slightly harder from the exertion of combat. Overall, I was in good condition and ready to go again. Checking around, I quickly repositioned myself back to where I originally was in front of the storefront door.

Knowing that there were more out there, I didn’t bother giving myself a once over to see what damage my armour and shield had taken. I could see my axe head and its shaft I was holding. It was splattered in blood and brain matter from the ghouls and I expect my shield was probably in the same condition except with a bit more surface damage.

The fog had become still again, faintly swirling on a non-existent wind. I knew they were out there and ideally, the Alpha would attack by itself in a fit of anger at the death of his pack mates. But I was not that lucky typically and I didn’t expect to be this time.

“Harrington, what is your status?” Grey asked from behind me, still in the building.

“All good at the moment.” I replied.

“Good work on taking out those two ghouls.”

“Thanks.”

She said nothing else to me, but I could hear increased mutterings from within the building. I didn’t bother listening to what they were saying; I was too focused on looking into the fog.

## ## ## ## ##

“Holy shit! He just took out those two ghouls like they were nothing!”

“Keep it down, McGregor! That goes for the rest of you too!” Grey snapped at him and the rest.

Hills, like most people in the storefront, watched the fight outside. She had not said anything when John had explained his plan to Grey. She was against it, but it would be him if anyone would pull it off. Knowing from experience and the footage from Rome that he could do it.

She looked around the room at the battered survivors. I knew that none of them could take down a ghoul on their own, let alone two, so quickly. She had heard through the grapevine that he had been badly wounded last year and had been taken out of commission, but that display of violence put that idea to rest.

For the first time in a long time, she felt something in her chest that felt like hope—the last year had been brutal on everybody, both military and civilian. The list of defeats and losses mounted day after day, wearing down everybody. Too many were just giving up and going through the motions waiting to die. But watching him stand out there and just…. take apart those two ghouls.

Sgt Gray spoke to John, checking on how he was doing. His nonchalant reply was no surprise to her as she had seen him take on ghouls before. But never like that.

She wondered what had happened to him in the time that she had not seen him and what he had been through and looked out into the fog taking her eyes off him and seeing movement out there.

Of course, you could not see anything but hints until another ghoul charged from the fog. They were so fast that she could barely keep up with it. I remembered how to register three of her squad and support team that followed. They were all apart from her and Gey, wounded in some way, with several members to support him dead.

Yet. Yet as the ghoul attacked, John met it.

They once again collided like he had with the other two and the sound of the impact caused everyone in the storefront to wince. Like the other two, he had used his shield to break his attacker’s momentum. He quickly followed up with a series of violent strikes, which forced the ghoul to try to defend itself. As each blow connected, they heard the cracking of bone and shrieks of pain from the ghoul.

It was terrifying to watch. Not the violence or horror of the creature he was fighting but the calming clinical way he calmly destroyed the creature. She shivered as he calmly destroyed his opponent without a single word or cry. It was so cold and professional, not like the last time she’d seen him fight when they were ambushed.

Regardless of her doubts and concerns, the ember of hope grew brighter in her chest.