Chapter 131: The attack...
Charis
I heard a voice from the radio say "Movement—" but as soon as the person said it, it died with a squeal, and there was an instant disconnection.
"Transport Six," Luce called out. "Come in, Transport Six. Can anyone hear me?"
Still silence.
"Maybe the signal is bad," I hear Baird tell Luce.
"It’s impossible, these are analogy devices, Baird. That’s the whole essence of having them. Transport Five, can you hear me? Come in Transport five?"
There was a loud static that made Luce groan out in pain; even I, sitting in my cage, had to jerk my head to avoid the loud noise quickly.
"What the hell was that?" Baird asked. "Try, Transport Four. They’re the lead car."
"Transport Four!" I heard Luce call out again, "Can you hear me, Transport Four?"
No response, not even a squeak. I could feel the tension emanating from both men. Where I was at the back of the vehicle, I didn’t know what to think. I also hope they don’t believe this had anything to do with me.
"Radio control room," Baird suggested again, "ask them if they can track the other transports and give you their coordinates."
Luce nodded and put the walkie-talkie to his mouth.
"Code Red, Code Red, this is Transport Seven. We’ve currently lost signal of other vehicles, and we can hardly see past the fog. Can anyone hear me?"
No response.
"Shit!" Luce cursed. "This can’t be happening. Is it possible to stop the car first? We can’t just drive into danger without knowing what we’re up against."
"What if another vehicle is coming behind us?" Baird argued. "This is a bridge, Luce, we can’t make random stops."
"And I’m telling you, this is a fucking ambush," Luce growled again. "Can’t you see it? We’ve travelled to more remote packs to extract prisoners, and it has been hitch-free; neither have we ever lost signal. Use your brain, Baird, something’s—"
He didn’t even complete the sentence when something slammed into the van’s roof with so much force that the entire vehicle shuddered. Baird cursed and swerved as the tires squealed against the coal-tar.
The sudden impact caused the small partition between the cage and the driver’s side to slide down making me to see the front of the car and the partiton seperating me from Baird and Luce.
From where I was, I saw something white jump in front of the windshield, and Baird swerved in response.
"Snow Rogues!" Luce shouted into his walkie-talkie. "We’re under attack! I repeat. Transport Seven is under attack!"
The vehicle lurched violently to the right as more creatures descended from the fog. I slammed into the side of the cage with my shoulders, gritting my teeth as pain shot through me.
"Hold on!" Baird yelled, but it was too late.
There were more impacts. Through the window, I caught a glimpse of a creature with pale blue skin and shiny eyes. It was neither wolf nor human, just like those blue creatures that had tried to attack me at summer camp during orientation.
It leaps onto the hood of the car, scratching the hood and trying to sway the vehicle.
"What is that?" Baird called out slowly, as he stared at the blue creature, forgetting for a moment that he was the one manning the wheel.
"Baird, fucking drive!" Luce screamed. "Do you want to kill us all?"
That seemed to be a wake-up call for Baird; he gripped the steering wheel and swerved to his left.
More blue creatures and Snow Rogues continued to climb the railing of the bridge like spiders. The blue creatures could extend their limbs, so it wasn’t hard for them to get on our vehicle.
"By the goddess!" Luce screeched again. "This is a fucking ice wraith, they’re river born and the ride with those rogues. I never believed it, but now I do."
"That is not an ice wraith!" Baird barked out, in between spinning the car so fast that the creatures could fall out. "Ice wraiths do not extend like that. That is from hell. If we ever make it alive, I’m leaving this job."
Baird tries to brake and skids sideways, blocking the lane. Almost immediately, one of the cars begins to rush towards us at full speed.
"Is that not Transport four?" Luce asked, squinting his eyes. "Why is Eddy driving like a madman?"
Baird immediately put the car in reverse and began to drive backwards, trying to outrun the one coming towards us at full speed. Baird suddenly swerved to the right, dodging transport four by a few inches as it continued to drive down towards the bridge.
As the vehicle passed us, Luce shrieked with shock, the driver was still straped to his seat, but his head was missing. It seemed as if someone had hurriedly ripped it out of his shoulders.
"We’re going to die!" Luce wailed, reaching for the handle of his door.
"Luce! Calm down and stay in the fucking car..." Baird screamed, but just as he said the words, a blue creature jumped on Luce and, before our eyes, snapped his neck like it was breaking a twig.
For a beat, both Baird and I stared in shock until the creature started moving towards us. Baird’s hand quickly shot out and closed the passenger door before he set the car in motion again.
The vehicle hit a barrier behind, and for a moment, we dangled at the edge of the already destroyed railing of the bridge.
The snow rogues were rushing at us with speed, and the blue creatures were coming too. Baird was trying to start the vehicle, but it seemed stuck. Almost upon us, the car suddenly roared to life, and instead of moving forward like I’d hoped, it plunged into the Blackwater River.
The vehicle rolled end over end, and I was tossed around the back compartment like a rag doll; not even the chains around my ankles and wrists could protect me against the violent movement.
My head cracked against something hard —the bench or maybe the ceiling, now the floor.
Blood flowed into my eyes, seeping into my lips.
The impact with the water was like hitting concrete.
The van’s front end crumpled, but somehow the compartment that housed me held together. We sank like a stone, and immediately the water began to seep through the vehicle.
In the sudden silence that followed, I could hear Baird in front groaning. Was he still conscious? Or was he going to die?