THE TRAP IS SET
(The Getaway)
A superior giggle seemed to wrap around the table as smoke continued to fi ll the room. “Oh Thorbjorn that contestant of yours makes me laugh so.” Gazing at his playing cards Thorbjorn straightened his glasses. “And what makes you say that,” placing down his cards he flipped some chips into the pile. Giggling again slightly grasping his own chest Lord Otto stared around at the other members playing at the table, “he actually thinks that his plan is going to have a chance against the creature. I don’t understand why Jacob doesn’t help Mwai after all he has the only experience with the creature anyway.”
“Always so self-absorbed aren’t we Otto. I still believe Yakov has a great chance ‘The Butcher of Bolkhov’ can’t be counted out just yet. I’m so sick of the way we count odds!” Waving his cigar at Lord Otto Ivan continued, “I have been saying that for years haven’t I…outdated crockery!” “He is injured Ivan from the foot trap or did you miss that? Look at the screen his bracelets register four two inch holes in the ankle. There is no way he is going to make it to the end plus factor in his age. I can’t believe you’re putting so much money on him!” Stopping the tension between Ivan and Thorbjorn Conrad spoke up, “I’ll raise two hundred… speaking of self-absorbed what happened with Ron, I saw him leave after the creature left to regenerate?” Giggling like a school girl Otto curled his lips, “it seems he is a sore loser…is this his first time being a sponsor?” A man with hair like a football helmet threw in some chips exclaiming, “yea, I didn’t see that Hakeem going far anyway. His report was sketchy on that juice stuff.” “Personally Joseph I linked it to him escaping all those prisons. Although, he is not as evil as my Aednat. Any person could kill but when she kills she changes history.” Everyone around the table began to laugh even the brutish Ivan gave a boisterous snort. “I don’t even know how the Elite said that she was qualified in the first place! She’s not evil in the slightest Gordon. And her inclusion in this game has broken the rules clearly. I filed a motion for her immediate removal.” “You fat shit Ivan,” Gordon’s mousy fist slammed the table without it even wobbling. “She received Elite approval, plus you don’t know her like I do Ivan!” Gordon turned to the scoreboard and straightened his small glasses, “she will kill them all first before she dies, it’s funny. You all sit there laughing as we play this Texas Hold’em game but know this. She believes in an ultimate martyrdom, if she goes down believe me she will take whoever is in the room out with her.” The mouse like laugh made everyone smirk as he continued, “So either way she will be the last one! The trophy and money will go to me.”
“Rosenberg I must say that your fellow Raska is very entertaining, he’s like a child with a gun.” The gray haired man sat back in his chair eyeing Lord Otto. Rosenberg smirked laying his cards down, “yes he is… rather annoying if you ask me honestly, but well nobodies worse than that racist scum right there...I’ll tell you that!” Arguing went around the table as everyone seemed to be going on about the hunt. “Oh please Pascal that little 12 shot pistol of your contestant posses no threat he doesn’t belong in a battle like this he belongs in a sweat shop.” “And you’re one to talk Jango, you’re nothing but a reporter! What do you know about finding evil men? Kiyoshi would drape his living room with your little racist shit Anton!” Jango removed his cigar and waved it sarcastically at Pascal, “Oh, I am sorry that you didn’t read the report Pascal. Besides he’s not racist, he just uses that when he is out of his element.” “What about him breaking into the Kremlin Jango? There was no specifics in the report about that you fool!” Jango slammed down his cigar in the ashtray, “he burnt down a church filled with his ex-girlfriends’ and her boyfriends’ families! He continues the fight for Adolf Hitler and Third Reich!” “No, no my good Jango you’re forgetting,” Gordon pointed to everyone around the table as they said in unison, “the FOURTH Reich!” The table erupted into laughter as Lord Otto seemed to giggle the highest and hardest of all. “Oh look guys they are setting up their supposed trap,” Joseph was pointing to one of the several large televisions that lined the large banquet hall. “Yes, let’s finish up the game I would like to take a couple laps in the pool, before the creature returns.” Lord Otto giggled softly saying, “Who are you kidding Ivan you aren’t going to go do any laps!”
[Aednat]
“Pull it out Irish!” Hakeem was gripping his leg as I scanned over him, “Jesus Christ what is with your leg?” I had dragged Hakeem into the far corner of the hotel as the rest of the group didn’t want anything to do with him. Raska just laughed at me, “that…you want me to touch that sick motherfucker? Forget you and forget him!” Hakeem fi nally after several minutes of pain and arguing between him and I allowed me to grab a hold of it, “Be careful Aednat those bumps on his face and legs are probably Syphilis.” “Thanks Chris,” wanting to puke as I pulled the stick out of his leg letting Hakeem scream louder than before. “WILL YOU SHUT HIM UP,” Raska yelled moving forward, “we don’t want to draw that thing back do you?” Ignoring Raska, I muttered “Put, put pressure on it Hakeem, I’ll be right back!”
“Then we’ll force it down this hallway and have it land right into the circle here.” Mwai was walking still gripping his wounds with the rest of the group. They were walking through a hallway that led to an open area. The entire east wall of the first floor had collapsed. “You see if we wheel these cars closer and trap the creature in the circle. It will be like shooting a monkey in a barrel.” “A monkey in a barrel…a monkey in a barrel, I don’t think this is a good idea. The creature is too big it’ll just leap over the cars!” Mwai shook his head at Anton still clenching his wounds tightly, “not if we all open fire on it at the same time.” “Mwai will you please let me stitch you fully up before this all takes place.” Waving me away, “get away…get off me woman, what’re you going to stitch me up with anyway? You still have Hakeem injured and Yakov… you can’t fi x us all!” Shouldering my rifle, “the cauterized wounds aren’t holding anymore you’re going to loose blood fast and then be completely useless to us. Besides we don’t even know if the creature will come back!” Mwai shrugged me off as he continued, “there is only one problem, we are going to need some bait…you know something to draw the creature in.”
“Jesus more cameras,” Chris was pointing towards three cameras across the way. “Fine Mwai you don’t want help, I’m going back to help Hakeem.” “FORGET HIM BITCH! Now listen and listen good if the creature lives it’s going to come back. Didn’t you see how many times we shot it? If THAT creature can take THAT many bullets and STILL attack then it is something out of the ordinary. It should have died, but didn’t! It’s not a matter of if the creature is going to comeback but when it’s going to come back. So, this is the easiest and fastest plan that we can make with the time we are given.” Pointing to a gasping Hakeem, he winched continuing, “And him, I think we should leave him.”
Everyone looked at Mwai as Hakeem lay pleading grabbing his leg and trying to fi x himself. He sat in the corner of the room cleaning his wound with a dirty bed sheet. It seemed nobody wanted to touch him even I was hesitant. “Look at that sick motherfucker, the creature ain’t even going to want him!” Raska was shouldering his AK too, “I say we leave that old mother…” Mwai waved his bloody hand at Raska, “this isn’t a game boy! Hakeem has the freshest blood, so the creature will most likely go for him. This is an advantage nothing more.”
Hakeem began to cough violently as he opened his fist. He realized that blood had collected into the bandana wrapped around his hand. He wiped it off on his trench coat as he removed one of the two small pouches from around his neck. I watched him chanting some words as he opened the brown pouch into his hands beginning to rub the contents together. The group continued to talk as I heard Mwai yell, “Yo Irish bitch you’re going to snipe from the rooftop! You and Jacob will get prime shots, “You hear me?” I turned to him and gave him a sarcastic, “of course I heard you…boss!” He snarled and returned towards the group, “I’m going to kill all of you and save you for last you fucking darkie!” I knew my words had gone unheard because Mwai was now instructing where everybody else should go.
“Yo who died and left you in charge! If anybody should be talking about setting a trap it should be ME! I’m the only one that has actually set traps before when I was snatching diamonds. Besides like Irish said were setting a trap on the assumption that the creature is coming back. What if we killed it? If the creature does come back, I think what we should do…” Mwai reached into the side of his pants and removed his machete blade. “If you cut me off one more time I will cut off your hands and make sure the only thing you do for the rest of eternity is…” “How’re you going to do that when I fi ll you with thirty shells, before your machete makes its first strike? And will you shut that dirty motherfucker up…that muttering and shit has got me tweaking!” Everyone turned to Hakeem who was gazing over scattered chicken bones on the ground, “What the hell is that freak doing?” Anton had spoken up, it seemed sense the creature had attacked he had lost his pompous attitude. Raska snarled at Hakeem like a dog would snarl at the cur of the group. Jacob returned to us, “Forget that clown and forget this trap. We should just keep walking and get the hell out of here.”
Kiyoshi, the Chinese man had now sprung into action. Kiyoshi made wild motions with his hand and then smashed it against his fist. Raska yelled at him with eyes bulging wide, “I don’t understand you with your damn Ching-Chong language boy! You’re waiving your hands like a fool! I don’t understand waiving arm language!” Mwai stared down at the scrawny man as I moved my attention away from the group to get a better glance at Hakeem. Hakeem was fiddling with his bandannas tied tightly around his hands. I mimicked him playing with the Irish flag bandanna tied around my left hand. I heard the group arguing, but none of it was going to be of any use to me. I needed a way out of here but with a creature like that I would need the group. I shot every shot I could and as fast as I could but all of it was in vain. The creature was torn up and stained with blood, but why didn’t it die? The fur seemed too thick acting almost like a bulletproof vest. It had to be the fur that was the only way the creature could have survived a barrage like that and in such close corridors. Yakov had ripped off the sleeves of his shirt and tying them around his ankle. He looked to be applying a tourniquet from his belt, but the rest of his transgressions were lost when there came a SNAP. The rest of the group didn’t hear the sound. They were too busy arguing as now Anton was in the middle talking something about a “three day raid and American ATF.” Hakeem was muttering into a crushed white powder. He spit in it several times and mixed it up before he began to spread it over his wound like a paste.
Hakeem was dripping with sweat as the white paste spread over the gapping hole. He untied the bandanna around his left hand and tied it firmly across the wound in his leg. Leaning back Hakeem gave a sigh of relief as he snatched up his chicken bones. “Kiyoshi is saying the only way to kill it is to have something fall on it!” “What the hell does that symbol mean boy?” Chris gazed at Raska and then back at Kiyoshi, “hold on… you gotta slow your arms down ok? I only ever read about this stuff… yeah, ok?” Talking between Raska and Mwai he replied, “there is a water tower on top of this building we can use the explosive to blow the leg and bam…creature pizza.” Mwai yelled, “That water tower might fall outside the circle, we can’t trap it there. If it wants us, it’ll have to come out this door surrounded by the cars.”
There came a soft rattle as Hakeem had thrown his chicken bones on the floor again. He watched them clatter and began to trace them with his fingers. I heard Nikki in the background, “Et oesn’t madder vhat ve sould do! Ve sould cee vhere dis ting ends!” “Yeah that’s a great idea, you heard that guy on that tablet thing a 400 mile battle zone…you wanna walk that?” Chris huffed his sarcasm at Nikki and their argument intensified. I watched Hakeem begin to mutter rapidly. He seemed to be panicking as he traced the bones.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going Crocodile Dundee?” Jacob was already walking away towards the door with that stupid mutt right at his heels. “I’m doing what we should have been doing the whole time. I’m putting as much distance between us and the creature. Hopefully, we will have gone too far for it to continue hunting us.” Jacob turned from the group and removed the bandolier slung across his body tossing it into the grass. “Ve are es food!” Nikki was now pushing past all of us as Hakeem raised his blood soaked hand to the nearest person trying to snag anybody’s leg. “Demon…demon…it’s…it’s…it’s” His arms waved wildly at anybody that ran past him. “VOU KNOW ZOMTING!” Nikki was chasing after Jacob like they were in a lover’s quarrel. “I zaw de look vou gav de creeture! Dat look ven dat ting ad vou …” “I have no idea what you’re talking about young lady! Now, if you all wanna go play house that’s fine. Lefu and I are doing what we do best.” “Unning,” yelled Nikki. “Go away girl!”
Hakeem stared up at me and saw that I was the only one that was left on the first floor with him. “It’s coming…we…need…to…run…now!” Hakeem’s eyes were wild and I could see that he was terrified. “Vou know de creeture, Vou’ve zeen et befour Yacob! Get bak ere nd ell uz…elp me Criz!” Blowing her off again Jacob was storming away, “from what I have seen you can’t kill this creature easily. I shouldn’t have stayed and listened to your stupid plans. I should have trusted myself and gone when I had the chance.” Hakeem was struggling to stand as he reached for me to help him up. I shook my head now disgusted with the evident truth of his diseased self. “You’re a fucking liar Jacob you know what that creature is! Lord Otto was right all along…get back here and tell us what we are dealing….”
“AAAHHHOOOO,” a howl that seemed to come far over the horizon as everyone seemed to stop dead in their tracks. “It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming,” Hakeem’s wild eyes seemed to show the severity of the situation. Mwai began to shout orders and Raska was busy fighting every step of the way. Heading into the building Mwai walked over to Raska clearly yelling at the top of his lungs, “Just shut up Raska, shut the hell up, we are out of time! Grab that freak and the old man…. we’ll toss them out there in the middle of the courtyard for bait. Everyone will take position alright!” “AAAHHHOOO,” the howl seemed to be getting closer. I watched as all my teammates now saw the futility in their squabbling. I realized the problem with putting the biggest dogs in the same cage. Every dog is going to want to take charge. Everyone pushed past as Mwai grabbed a struggling Hakeem, “Put me down!” Mwai was yelling loudly as Hakeem struggled violently. Although it appeared as if his leg had healed or at least healed enough to walk on, “you and Yakov have the freshest blood.” Hakeem thrashed against Mwai’s fist, “Relax Hakeem, Yakov and I are going to be out here with you.”
They were practically running into the center of the small courtyard just outside of the crumbling hotel. Few cars were scattered here and there. “Yo white boys sneak in behind it, and we can trap it in the center.” Mwai and Raska made their way to the center throwing Hakeem like a contaminated tissue onto the ground. I followed them out as I moved towards the shopping complex hopping onto the top of a broken down van as I set up my spot. “AAAHHHOOO,” Mwai began to set up the phone on the ground sitting within arm’s reach of it, “yo old man get over here now!” Yakov stood in the middle of the small area and shook his head. Mwai was unable to see his protest as he was pointing to the rest of the members of our group, “you go there! You there behind that car. Yo white boys get moving! Get to the back of the building and flush the creature this way just like we planed.”
“AAAHHOOO,” “Yo Dundee take a sniping position over there!” Raska made his way towards Mwai. I heard him snarl, “when this is done, I’m going to beat you into the sand with these clubs on my back…you hear me?” Turning from him, I watched Raska and Kiyoshi make their way towards the rusted cars. However Kiyoshi began to run at top speed. He passed the car and went around the building leaving us. “Where the hell is he going?” Anton was pointing towards the white suited Kiyoshi just as his pants whipped around the corner. “COWARD,” Raska yelled loudly as Mwai dragged Yakov down to the ground. “Move and I’ll kill you myself…both of you!” Yakov looked like he was about to run, but his ankle seemed to have him paralyzed in place. “Don’t even think about it Russian, I stand by what I say. If you move you will loose more than that eye!” The Russian snarled loudly, “you’re lucky darkie I don’t…” “AAAHHHOOOO,” “it’s getting closer!” Jacob shouted shouldering his rifle and disappearing between two rusty cars. I watched him through my scope hopping over a mound of concrete and debris.
[Mwai]
How I got everyone to follow my instructions was beyond me. Maybe it was the panic at the first attack of the creature? Maybe it was that everybody seemed out of their league? The one that I expected the most resistance from was the poacher. Was the white boy and the slut right? Did Jacob know more then he was telling us? Or maybe he had finally met a creature that he couldn’t take on alone? I saw the stupid dog following his master and disappear to return to his side. The wind grew silent as the clouds moved in the air gracefully. My side began to hurt as I felt weaker with every passing second. I knew that I needed better medical help. If I was going to live past this moment, I would have to injure or defeat this creature. I couldn’t hide my fear, but maybe it was my confi dence that made the group listen?
Yakov and Hakeem were lying next to me, “when I click the dial button we will shoot him as much as we can to make our escape ok?” Yakov growled, “This isn’t going to work! You’re going to kill us all!” Hakeem shook with terror, “it’s a demon! We can’t kill it!” “Relax the both of you and just follow my lead, do that and we will live.” CRACK!!! Something metal had crashed against something wooden in the distance. There was loud breathing followed with scrapping metal on a brick wall. The creature was drawing closer snarling loudly. I saw the shadow move through the front doorway, “it, it is tracking us.” A loud lapping sound could be heard I whispered ‘he can taste us.” Hakeem was shaking violently as he reached into his trench coat, “HISSSSS!” “Don’t be an idiot Hakeem just wait!” There came a snort and a loud BANG as the creature began to move towards the building.
I felt my wound beginning to throb harder as sweat began to cover my forehead. My hand began to twitch as I reached over to make sure the phone was still on. Only one button and it would take three rings before the phone would explode. Well at least the last time that I had one it took only three rings. I stared through the depths of the door frame as the light began to darken. The large creature had made its way into the hallway. I could see the creature sniffing the air and Hakeem had been right, it was a demon. I saw the creature’s tongue licking the air. It tasted us and seemed to know that blood was near. The hallway grew darker as the creature moved forward. “It’s coming,” “stay where you are Hakeem,” reaching into his trench coat again. “You grab that piece Hakeem, and I’m gunna chop off your arms!” I held his arm, “don’t you dare move… Yakov keep that bow low!” Hakeem tried to throw my hand off, “get off me…” he froze in terror, CRUNCH!
Hakeem turned to the door as a pair of large claws grabbed the sides of the door frame. “It’s coming,” the large barrel head stuck out as it sniffed the air loudly. Its red eye whirred like a machine as it focused on us. Its head extended more as it opened its mouth exposing its long silver plated teeth. Drool ran thickly over its lips as it stretched like long spaghetti noodles, “that’s it….come on you stupid beast.” I heard Yakov beginning to scurry back, “don’t…don’t it will get wind of everything.” The creature took a step out of the door as the stairs shattered beneath the weight of it. It moved towards the three of us as I traced the cell phone. “Just a little closer,” the creature moved slowly as if stunned by the fact that three men were lying in the dirt waiting to be eaten. The creature took another step forward the claws underneath its claw plates curled menacingly as it seemed apprehensive.
Hakeem began to retreat, “don’t…stay exactly where you are!” The creature took another step forward. “Just a little further,” “start the phone fucker!” I didn’t listen to the Russian, he was an idiot. I had to wait until the creature was just close enough. It moved even more slowly. A light reflected in my eyes as I saw a camera in the far corner of the building peering down upon all of us. I had to deal with that later, the creature took another step. I reached over and pushed the green button of the cell phone. I watched the screen on the phone change. “Alright start…” I froze when the creature stopped in its tracks. It stared down at me and at the phone. Raising its head I saw the creature’s red eye beginning to whir as it stared at the scattered cars surrounding us all.
Connecting….
111-111-1111
The creature quickly turned its head back down to the three of us and then back up to the cars. “It sees the trap,” Yakov yelled. “No don’t go Hakeem,” Hakeem had gotten to his feet and began to hobble away. The creature’s head darted sharply up as it prepared to bound after the sprinting Hakeem. It stopped when Yakov struggled to his feet and began to take off in the opposite direction. I was left all alone staring up at the beast. It stared at both its fleeing preys struggling in the decision as to who to chase. I watched the screen on the phone change again.
Dialing…
111-111-1111
I began to back up knowing an explosion would happen in the moment the screen changed to read, Connected. I began to scurry back as fast as I could sliding the phone towards the creature as delicately as I could. My scurrying caught the attention of the great beast as it turned its attention down at me. Its attention then turned to the phone that had been whipped in front of it. It stood over seven feet tall as it snarled its teeth preparing to lunge on me. I was the only fool that had stayed to face the beast head on. I tried to show no fear as I continued to back away, “come on just a couple more seconds you big piece of shit!” It stared at the cars knowing people were behind them.
The phone was continuing to dial as it was a foot in front of it. “That’s it just stay there you stupid,” fireworks seemed to be going off. I realized a mortal mistake was being made. The two white boys had begun to fire coming in directly behind the beast. “FUCK,” I yelled loudly realizing the creature was moments from retreating. I stood up as fast as I could removing my machete and slashed it across the beast’s face. I twirled it before sending it back down across the beast’s shoulder and chest. Hair flew in the air as the creature raised it paw and smacked me in the chest. It hit with the force of a car as I flew backwards away from the spot. The beast snarled one last time and then like lighting it darted to my left and took off after Hakeem. It must have seen Hakeem as the weakest of the three of us. “No, come back here!” My yells were in vain as I felt my ribs had been broken. BAM…BAM…BAM…BAM…BAM… BAM…I saw the blonde girl firing wildly at the creature. Her pink pistol recoiling violently as she stepped forward with every shot trying to take better aim each time. I gripped my side in pain as I yelled as loud as I could, “STAY BACK!” I saw the girl step closer to the phone as I saw the screen of it change one final time.
Connected…Goodbye
111-111-1111
The explosion wasn’t as a large as I had expected. However Nikki had been caught in it and was sent backwards just as I was. She crashed against a rusted car and fell to the ground like a pile of used towels. The beast leapt over a large slab of concrete before it stopped when a loud, KA-BANG filled the air. I saw Aednat had taken a shot and caught the creature in the throat. From behind the rusted car stood Raska who was firing his AK wildly over the creature’s chest. He was screaming loudly his words were undistinguishable through the hail of gunfire. The creature took every bullet as it had before. The wounds from our previous encounter had vanished and new wounds began to take place. The creature had dark red blood that began to shower over the landscape like a dog shaking water off its fur.
The creature began to retreat slightly recoiling at the hail of gunfire from the combined efforts of the team. It bellowed as a different sound filled the commotion, Snap! There came a creaking like metal bending, the creature turned its head upright as a shadow had now blocked the light from the sun. It sent a great shadow to cast down upon our ambush. The small water tower that Mr. Thousand Words had told us about earlier was now falling over us. “GET OUT OF THE WAY!” I yelled as I scrambled away as fast as I could. I was grabbing my chest and wounds trying to push through the excruciating pain. The creature bound over Raska and began to take off into the field.
The water tower crashed over the open area that the creature had once occupied. The container burst as water poured from the sides of its hull. Raska was swept off his feet as the tidal wave washed over him helplessly. I watched the creature making its escape, BOOM…BOOM…BOOM. Aednat was standing rifle raised firing at the creature. It took a shot in the leg and began to limp over the hill disappearing from sight. I grabbed my chest tighter and tried to breathe a sigh of relief. The air stung like a hundred bee stings. I watched Dundee’s little dog bound forward and begin to chase the creature. “Where the hell are you going Jacob?” Jacob lowered his gun as he began to take off after the creature as well. He stopped and turned back to us, “it’s injured if we want to kill it for good, now is the time!” Jacob turned back after several steps noticing Aednat behind him, “Jacob we need to gather everyone together you can’t fight that thing on your own!” Aednat’s words seemed to have no affect on the poacher, “well then are you coming or not?” I watched Aednat gaze towards all of us and then back to Jacob, “let’s gather everybody together, and we can help kill it.” “WELL let’s get moving my dear! The longer we wait the more it can recover or didn’t you notice that after the first time?”