The Fourth Phase

TWENTY-EIGHT

The NH-90 helicopter banked around Maungatautari Mountain, then swooped down the bush line and out over the grey waters of Lake Karapiro. Jack grasped the hold bar, his knuckles white with the effort. He peered out the small window at the black smoke pouring from the roadway on the dam. A horde of Variants was running south towards Arapuni and the explosions they had set off there. He grinned. A few lifted their heads, watching the chopper fly overhead. He glanced over at Dee. She had a determined look on her face. Her eyes met his and she smiled at him. He leant over and kissed her neck.

Dee reached up and brushed his cheek. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Promise me something.”

“What?”

“When this is all over, can we watch The Goonies and eat hamburgers?”

“I thought you hated that movie?”

“I don’t hate it. You just watch it so much. But all that stuff seems irrelevant now. We need to enjoy and appreciate what time we have.”

Jack smiled and kissed her again. “If we survive this and get back to Mayor Island, you can watch whatever movie you want.”

“Even Dirty Dancing?”

Jack laughed and poked her in the ribs. “Yes, even that one.”

Dee grinned. “It’s funny. It all began here at Karapiro. Now let’s end it here.”

Jack nodded. Lifting his eyes, he watched Ben squeeze out of the cockpit and face them.

“All right Renegades. Time to rock and roll. Kill any Variant bastard you see. Eric, you’re with me. We’re going in the top entrance by the road. Jack, Dee, descend the stairs and enter through the turbine room.”

He reached into his backpack, extracting the remaining explosives. He adjusted the timers and handed five to Jack.

“Plant these on the back wall, closest to the lake. Press the red button to arm them.”

Then he held up a small device Jack wasn’t familiar with. It looked like a bicycle handgrip with a red button on top. On its side was a metal switch. Ben flicked a guard over the button. “This is the detonating trigger. I’ve taken them off timer. It’s too risky. We go in, find the boys, and once we are clear, we’ll blow this bastard place to hell!”

“Hell yeah!” the Renegades answered.

Jack put the explosives in his pack and checked that his rifle was ready. He knew it was, but Ben had drummed the habit into him. And besides, it helped take his mind off the horrors that awaited them. Looking out, he could see the source of the black smoke. Flames had engulfed the village end of the dam. It was the burning wreckage of a chopper. As he watched, Variants scrambled around the flames, trying to reach the other chopper, which hovered above the village, spraying it with 50 caliber rounds. His heart sank at the sight. The men in that chopper had risked their lives for the rescue of the boys. They had paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Feeling the loss, Jack channeled the anger and frustration, steeling himself with new determination. Gazing around the cockpit, he could see the same grim expressions on the other Renegades’ faces.

The chopper thumped to the ground. Eric flung the door open and Jack pushed off his seat. Crouching low, he waited for Dee to join him. He felt the touch on his shoulder and moved left and around the building. In his peripheral sight, he saw Ben and Eric head directly for the building, their destination visible over the sight of his rifle. He took up a covering position and watched Dee descend the ladder. Dozens of Variants were on the far side of the dam, but for now their way was clear. He heard his two-way click with the signal that the coast was clear.

Jack took a calming breath and climbed down the ladder. With every step he took closer to the inside of the meat locker, his trepidation grew. He had reached deep down inside himself to escape this place, to find an inner strength and a will to survive. Then, thoughts of Dee, alone and worried, had spurred him on. He paused at the door.

Dee glanced up at him as if she read his concerns. She grasped his hand. “It’s all right, Jack. We do it together this time, okay?”

“Okay.” He breathed deep, trying to calm himself. Memories of this place stirred up terrors he had buried deep down. “Let’s do it.”

Dee flung open the door, and moved through it with the grace of a cat. Jack followed, and glanced around the cavernous room beyond. Four giant turbines sat in a row, silent. Metal walkways ringed each turbine, and huge metal pipes disappeared from each one into the walls of the dam.

Jack remembered a school trip many years ago. The sound the spinning turbines had made had been deafening. His ears had rung for days after. Like after a rock concert. Dee moved out into the room, signaling for him to keep an eye on the walkways as she swivelled around, searching for the foul beasts. He couldn’t detect the rotten fruit smell in here, but the stench of death emanated from the far end. Jack clicked his two-way to get Dee’s attention. She glanced at him. Jack held up one of the explosives. She nodded in agreement. Glancing around the room, he decided that the intake pipes were the best place to set the charges.

Jack jogged behind the turbines and placed the four charges. Meeting Dee at the far end, he gave her a quick smile. He thumbed his radio. “Captain. Charges primed and ready. Over.”

There was a short pause before Ben answered. “Received. We are heading for the main room. Move it.”

“Wilco. Over.” Jack glanced at Dee, and nodded.

She cracked the door open and peered out before moving out into the corridor beyond. Glancing left and right, Jack recognised the corridor he had awoken in all those weeks ago. They were farther along, but it was the same corridor. Evidence of the strange membrane that had trapped him, George, and the others to the wall was still there. Screeches echoed down the hall, forcing Jack to pay attention. The strong rotten fruit smell they expunged reached him before the sounds of their scampering did. He moved his selector off semi-automatic onto full. A hideous howl sounded out from around the corner. Jack nestled the rifle into his shoulder. A black blur of movement careened towards them. Jack squeezed the trigger, aiming for the torso. He watched, satisfied, as he filled it full of holes. It tumbled to the ground and lay still. He quickly moved forwards, taking down a few more with controlled bursts. Dee’s rifle spat, but with more Variants joining the battle, Jack had no time to admire her kills. Another wave joined the first one. Jack and Dee fired at anything that moved. Firing. Loading. Firing. Sporadic gunfire echoed down the hallway from the far end. Jack assumed it was Ben and Eric.

He yelled above the din. “There’s too many, we have to go back!”

Dee shook her head. “It’s better here in the hall. We can trap the bastards in a bottleneck!”

Jack nodded and moved to one side, taking down another Variant. The stench of death mixed with gun smoke made his eyes water. Casings from his ammunition clinked off the concrete walls. Jack centered himself and fought on. He fought for the boys, he fought for all those moments he wanted to still share with Dee. He fought for all the sunsets they had yet to see. He fought for the children he wanted to have with his beautiful wife. He fought for humanity.

Shrieks rang out above the gunfire, and another wave of Variants scampered around the corner. They stopped, hissing at Jack and Dee, watching them with their cold reptile eyes. Jack squeezed his trigger. His rifle clicked empty.

“Changing!” He reached into his vest and grabbed a fresh magazine.

Dee let loose with a burst, hitting one in the head and another in the leg. The remaining four howled and lurched towards them. Jack looked up and sighted one of them. With a sudden burst of speed, it bounced off the wall and leapt at Jack. He pivoted and flung himself to one side, hoping to avoid its outstretched claws. The Variant landed next to him with a shriek. He only just managed to bring up his rifle to protect his head. Jack glimpsed a flash of red down the corridor. Thinking he was having a flashback of the man he killed, Jack opened his eyes wide when the red figure ran towards them, firing at the Variants. But as surprised as he was, Jack had more pressing matters to be concerned with.

Jack reached down and grabbed his knife. Lunging, he buried it deep into the Variants neck, killing it. He pushed the dead beast off him and scrambled up, looking for Dee. She stood over the body of a Variant, but had her carbine pointed at the red figure.

It was a dark-haired woman. She had tied the arms of the red coveralls around her waist. She held her rifle to one side and had a hand lifted up in surrender.

Jack looked at Dee, then back to the woman. “Who are you?”

“I could ask you the same thing?”

“American?”

“Yes.”

Jack shook his head. What the hell is an American doing here? “We don’t have time for this. Dee. Do it.”

“Wait!” The woman held up her other hand. “I’m not one of them. I just killed those bastards. I’m here for the kids, all right?”

Jack watched as Dee lowered her rifle. “Maggie?”

“Yes. Wait. How did you know? Alice?”

Dee nodded her head. “She’s safe, and the kids.”

“Oh, thank God. I guess you’re here for the kids too, right?”

Jack butted in. “Yes. Let’s go. There’s always more of those bastards.”

Maggie and Dee nodded. Howls and shrieks reached them from farther down the corridor. Jack took a deep breath. It was time. Time to end this. Time for the final battle. He leant down and wiped the black gunk off his knife. Shouldering his rifle, he jogged down the corridor. Towards the horrors of the throne room.