Page 21 of The General’s Captive (The Rift #1)
T he moments before they attacked were always the worst. Trying to push the fear down and concentrate on the different ways to fight back. To focus on one at a time and use what we had to fight against them in the smartest way.
As for Aster, he continued to stick close to me asking me questions that I didn’t mind answering, not if a single one potentially ended up helping save his life. He seemed genuinely impressed by the tricks up my sleeve, like the big barrels of rotten meat we had collected from outside the kitchens.
A job most people hated and more than making the perfume bombs.
I could already feel myself about to gag just thinking about the moment the Ghouls got close enough that we would pull the cord and make them tip.
The smell and the mess would spill on the ground making those want to vomit as it rose to our nostrils.
But as for the ghouls, they went bat shit crazy over the stuff.
I had never fought one but I had noticed plenty when passing fields filled with dead farm animals to know they loved to feast on rotten flesh.
To be honest, these scared me nearly more than anything else.
As despite them only being a Class two they were the Myths that most reminded me of Zombies.
They were also easier to pick off one at a time but only when they were distracted.
However, we also found that by putting rat poison in with the mix, we saved bullets as this did the job well enough on its own. Which meant that when they arrived first we didn’t have to focus much energy on them. Not when all that was needed was tipping the barrels and watching them swarm.
The demonic dogs, which we still didn’t know the proper name for, were next. Seeing as they couldn’t make it up the wall or pass the gate, it made them easy pickings. Bullets were affective on these so for those on the top of the wall they just picked them off one by one.
However, after that came the harder Class three’s, as the horned snake Cerastes could make it up the wall.
These giant snakes were the size of anacondas and there were even rumors of ones even bigger.
These were known as Basilisks and were said to have the power to kill with just a look.
A class one for sure and thankfully not one I had ever seen, but then again I didn’t know anyone who had.
Only stories told and lots of deaths that followed with it.
“Light em up!” I shouted, ignoring the familiar way my scars burned just as the first wave of snakes made it to the wall.
The line of soldiers now spraying them with the water guns and soaking them in any flammable liquids we found to fill them with.
The sounds of their high-pitched screams meant this round had been a victory.
Aster and I were currently in the lookout tower as Tiffany kept watch on what was coming next.
As for Aster, he looked to be already half in love with her which wasn’t exactly good timing.
Then again, who was I to say anything. Riley had literally waited until we were potentially all going to die before telling me he had feelings for me.
“We got five Chimera’s coming our way!”
“Fuck, five of them?!” I said and she lowered her binoculars reminding me sarcastically,
“I know my ABC’s as well.” Aster boomed with laughter at this and she winked at him making the big guy blush. But then his eyes grew wide and he nodded, making her snap them back up and shout,
“Watch out, we got Harpies coming in on the West side!”
“Fuck!” I snapped leaving the lookout and striding back onto the wall that was only wide enough for one person to walk along.
“Concentrate on the Chimeras closest to the gate! I will deal with these fucking Harpies!” I shouted now making my way down the wall steps and practically jumping down most of them.
I kept looking to the sky knowing that I needed to time this just right as I dashed across the yard in front of the gate.
I glanced that way watching as one of the Chimera’s went down as more Goat Bombs were being thrown ready for the next.
“What are you doing?” Aster’s voice startled me, as I didn’t think he would follow.
“My fucking job! Now go and help the others.”
“I’m not leaving you!” he argued making me frown.
“What are you my bodyguard now?” I asked but before he could open his mouth my second worst nightmare sounded in the night, right before Tiffany screamed.
“Fuck No… they have a Gryphon!” I bellowed as I saw it head straight for the lookout tower. A long trail of black smoke following as it flew closer.
“Quick! Go help her!” I shouted to Aster, who for a second looked torn before doing as I asked and running towards the tower.
As for me the second the harpies got close I flipped open the control panel our resident sound engineer had hooked up for me.
The hidden speakers positioned at each corner of the yard was soon blasting with the sound of Whitesnake’s, Still of the Night. Which was pretty apt right now.
The second it hit them they screamed, bellowing high pitched pained screeches into the sky before dropping to the ground.
There was eight in total with only six of them making it inside the yard.
I then grabbed the shot gun leaning next to the wall waiting for me and walked towards them shooting each in the head.
But then before I could get the last one the Gryphon swooped so low it crashed into the top of the tower forcing Tiffany to jump.
My heart was in my throat as I watched her plummet to what would have most likely been to her death when I saw Aster catch her.
I was surprised the force hadn’t knocked him to the ground as it must have hurt both of them.
“Alex, look out!” I heard Riley scream as one of the harpies had managed to crawl towards me, suddenly the boom of a shot gun sounded before its head exploded.
“Like old times eh.” He said making me smirk.
“If I knew you were this romantic I would have asked you out sooner.” I teased making him wink before turning serious.
“Did you manage to get them evacuated?”
“The council said no so I said fuck it! The first bus took the kids and some of my team to protect them. The last bus is ready to leave with the rest of the civilians…but we have to go” I shook my head and told him,
“I can’t leave them, Riley.” At this he grabbed my arms and said,
“Look to the sky Alex, they have a fucking Gryphon and a second army is on its way.” I gasped, my eyes wide in terror.
“What do you mean?”
“I saw them when we were loading up the kids, they are coming the other way and we will soon be surrounded.” I stammered back a step as defeat struck me hard.
“Fuck!” I cursed before then asking,
“The General?”
“Yeah, and an army of god only knows what with him. We can’t win so all we can do now is try to save the rest.” I nodded at this and told him,
“We need to tell them.” He nodded and together we made our way to as many as we could whilst still trying to avoid the Gryphon. The only two buses we had were reserved to be packed to the limit with civilians but we also had cars. There wouldn’t be enough to take everyone, but it was something.
High-pitched screams shattered the last of the daylight that was giving way to night.
The sounds of gunshots exploding around me, terrifying roars and officers shouting mingled together amongst the sounds of destructive chaos.
Soldiers fired rounds of bullets at the monsters below.
Goat Bombs flew, perfume bottles exploded and roars of pain and bloodshed bellowed from both sides.
The next screams came as a death cry when the Gryphon picked people off the top of the wall and dropped them to the Myths below that couldn’t get in. This left gaps for the Cerastes to make it through as they started to slither over the wall into the base.
“THERE IS MORE COMING!” I heard someone bellow as now it was time for everyone to run.
As for me, I noticed in horror a single girl crying near the gate one that must have been missed!
My mind went into overdrive as I went running for her, but this was when Commander Taylor intercepted me gripping my arm tight and snapping,
“You and your fucking boyfriend caused this, if those on that bus had been here then we could have…!” I never let the crazy bitch finish as I ripped my arm from hers.
I was just about to give her a piece of my mind when I was suddenly pushed out of the way by an unknown force.
I fell back hard jarring my hip in a painful way that I screamed.
Yet it wasn’t enough to drown out the sound of Taylor’s scream as she was suddenly ripped from the ground.
Now in the Gryphon’s claw it flew off with her before dropping her below to the ghouls.
I shivered as I saw through the gate the way they swarmed her making me close my eyes as she was torn apart.
As for me, I had a kid to save so I pushed myself off the ground and started running the rest of the way for the gate.
The little girl was crying out for her mother making me ignore the throbbing pain in my hip as I fought against it.
Adrenaline pumping through my veins as I could see the spiked uglies butting their heads against the fence trying to get to her.
Six legged beasts with black matted fur and ogrish features, big round heads and rolls of fat that were spiked with broken looking horns.
Even their beady eyes had arches of smaller spikes like deadly brows.
The largest horns were on the top of their heads like multiple sets of antlers that had snapped and created jagged weapons, each of which were currently tearing big holes in the fence.