The New Haven Incident - Part Fifty

Sebastian had no idea where Lilith had come from, but he was extremely glad she was here. They fought well together. The agent could recognise her traditional style, and she his training. They both knew the most effective way to take the creatures down.

For all their incredible synergy, there was nothing they could do against the giant hellhound.

Coming in hot, Agent, someone said into Sebastian’s comms unit. Sebastian grabbed Lilith’s hand and dragged her away from the hound. A transport buzzed overhead, followed closely by two attack drones. Bullets threw up turf before striking bodies.

Roaring in pain, the giant hellhound jumped, opening its putrid maw wide. Teeth clasped firmly around the still-rising wheel of the transport carrying Officer Fernly, the children and Team Six.

Sebastian heard screams as the aircraft pitched wildly to the side. Growling, he ran forward. He dodged around the snapping jaws of the smaller hounds, sliding entirely underneath one, drawing his knife. Passing the back leg of the giant hound, he slashed out, hamstringing the animal.

The beast yowled in pain, releasing the transport.

“Get out of here!” Sebastian snapped into his comms.

You too, the pilot replied, pulling up hard. The transport rose high and was away. That was the last of the civilians safe, the Sigma teams with them. All that remained to evacuate was Mendez, The Department soldiers, and Lilith. Knowing the wound he just inflicted on the hound was already healing, Sebastian turned and ran, his retreat a mad dash through chitinous bodies and snapping jaws.

Blinded by the press, Sebastian crashed into Mendez as he ran.

“Gotchya,” Mendez said, grabbing Sebastian by his shoulder and dragging him back.

The two attack drones continued to harass the swarm, giving Mendez, Lilith and Sebastian some breathing room. They began a fighting retreat back to the last of the transports. They had barely gone three steps when one of the smaller hellhounds leapt from the swarm, taking Mendez to the ground.

As one, Sebastian and Lilith leapt, tackling the hound off Mendez. With their combined strength slamming into the side of the beast’s head, it stumbled sideways, lifting the paw that had trapped Oliver.

Coughing, glad to be free of the astounding weight of the hound on his chest, Mendez scrambled to his feet. His right hand had gone numb, but he was immediately reminded of the break when he reached for a side arm. Swearing under his breath, he reached with his left instead.

Aiming with this hand was easier for him than most. It was a natural talent he had practiced a great deal; mostly to show off to the younger members of his team. Harding had convinced him to use the acquired skill to fleece some of the other captains. Bets were placed, bottles were shot, money was made.

Grimacing against the memories, Mendez concentrated on making room for Sebastian and Lilith. They moved swiftly, a deadly dance of flashing blades. A Dark One lashed out, slicing its talons into Sebastian’s bicep. The agent did not pause, spinning away from the onslaught. Mendez took it personally. He fired, hitting the creature in the temple. Lilith spun, cutting the head off before the infected thing even started to fall. Overhead, the drones continued to strafe, firing into the swarm in calculated lines. Infected fell, only to rise again.

“Fall back!” Mendez roared. 

Lilith grabbed Sebastian’s hand and pulled him away, engaging in a fighting retreat. They managed two steps before they were intercepted.

“Fuck’s sake,” Mendez growled, focussing down the barrel of his rifle. He fired, making room for Sebastian and Lilith again.

The giant hound leapt, opened its dripping maw, and took out one of the drones with a sharp snap. It landed with a thud behind the trio, shaking the ground. It turned its massive head, bringing it low to the ground. It growled that terrible deep growl that interrupted the heart.

The last drone turned, firing. Tracks of bullets snaked across the beast’s neck, but each wound healed almost as soon as it was made.

Delta is safely away, a voice said in Sebastian’s comms.

Omega safely away, someone else announced.

Sebastian saw the hulking silhouettes of The Department transports rise above the giant hound’s back. Recognising their intent, his eyes widened.

“Time to go!” he barked, grabbing Lilith and Mendez by their wrists. He pulled them hard, turning them. He sprinted forward, his companions following.

Two blasts hit the enormous hellhound; one in the neck and the other in the side of the head. The impacts sent a wave of heat and sound slamming into the trio. Sebastian spun his friends around, covering them both with his own body as best he could. They were shielded from the worst of the blast by the creature itself, but that did not spare them getting flattened. They slammed hard into the ground.

The creature shrieked, then keeled over sideways. All three scrambled backwards, unable to get to their feet. The enormous head landed just centimetres away from their toes. The great, baleful eyes rolled in the head, staring sightlessly up at them.

“Christ,” Mendez breathed. He rolled onto his back, shuddering as he fought to regain his breath, before pulling himself up to sit.

Sebastian looked around. He placed his hands on either side of his chest and pushed himself up to standing. The swarm had been largely cleared out. The drone circled ahead.

You need to get in the air, one of the pilots of the empty transports hovering above the stadium informed Sebastian. There’s a whole lotta those fuckers headed your way.

“Roger that,” Sebastian replied. “Getting the hell out of Dodge.” He moved to Lilith and helped her up as Mendez rose. Taking Lilith’s hand, he turned and started towards the last remaining transport on the ground. She did not move, and her stillness pulled Sebastian backwards. He turned to face her, scowling.

“We have to go. Come on.” He pulled again.

This time, Lilith actively pulled back. She shook her head. Sebastian’s scowl deepened.

“Uh… Sebastian…” Mendez started, but the agent cut him off.

“I’m not leaving without her,” he snapped, not taking his eyes off Lilith.

Her dark eyes softened and she offered Sebastian a smile that was at once apologetic and sad. She withdrew her hand from his and signed. Mendez translated.

I can’t.

Sebastian shook his head, refusing to listen. “We can argue about this later, when we’re all safe. They’re going to firebomb this city. We have to get you out of the red zone. Let’s go.”

Again, Lilith shook her head and signed. I can’t go with you.

For a moment, Sebastian stared at Lilith, searching her eyes.

“Then I’m staying,” he said quietly.

Lilith’s eyes widened.

“We don’t have time for this,” Mendez said. He placed a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “We have to go, Sebastian.”

Still not looking away from Lilith, Sebastian shook his head. “I’m not leaving without her.” Each word was spoken softly, but the deliberate emphasis he placed on every word left no room for doubt.

What’s the hold up? someone said in the comms unit. We have to get out of here!

“Sebastian,” Mendez said again.

“No,” the agent replied.

Lilith stepped forward, wrapping her strong arms around Sebastian’s neck. Her lips met his. The kiss was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Despite himself, Sebastian felt himself relax into her embrace. He returned the kiss.

“For God’s sake,” Mendez muttered. He turned his back to give them some privacy, and immediately spied the distant, undulating cloud that was rapidly approaching. Not a cloud. Another swarm. Another very large swarm. “Seb…”

Mendez turned back. The pair were still kissing. He was about to grab Sebastian’s shoulder again, but saw instead Lilith reach behind her back. He stared, mute, as she withdrew a large syringe. Still kissing Sebastian, she plunged the needle into his neck and quickly depressed the plunger.

Grunting in surprise and pain, Sebastian pulled away, clamping one hand on the needle mark on his neck. He stared at Lilith in confusion, even as he began to sway.

“Wha…?”

He collapsed, his blue eyes closing. Lilith caught him, holding him up. Mendez jumped forward, helping her with the sudden dead weight.

“What did you do?” he demanded, taking one of Sebastian’s arms and wrapping it around his shoulder.

Lilith stared at Mendez, her eyes filling with tears. Mendez immediately softened.

“Tranquiliser.”

Lilith nodded. She relinquished Sebastian entirely to Mendez. She signed. It was the only way to get him —

“To safety,” Mendez finished. “Yeah. I get it.”

The swarm could be heard now; the low hum of wings and the occasional shrieks of Infected.

Lilith turned to the sound, then turned back to Mendez. The mercenary nodded against the pain in his broken hand. “I’ve got him.”

She nodded and, letting her gaze linger on Sebastian’s face a moment, turned again to face the approaching swarm. Lifting Sebastian over his shoulders, Mendez took a deep breath then turned and ran, as best he could, to the last remaining transport.

Several soldiers from The Department were waiting by the transport. Their view of what transpired had been obscured by the body of the enormous hellhound.

“What happened?” one of the men demanded as Mendez reached the transport with the unconscious Sebastian on his back. With help, he laid Sebastian on the floor of the large chopper, noting that a gun had been mounted on the other side of the fuselage. Mendez elected not to answer that. He just grimaced and shook his head at the man, before climbing into the transport.

“Oh shit!” someone said. Mendez turned to find the enormous hound twitching.

“Oh fuck!”

“Everyone in!” the captain bellowed. “Get this thing off the ground!” he barked at the pilot as he clambered in behind his unit, the last to alight.

The hound’s eyes focussed and blinked. It rolled onto its belly, coming to a stop to fix upon the transport.

“Get her up!” the captain barked again.

As if his words encouraged the transport’s engines, the wheels came off the ground.

The hound heaved a large breath, and attempted to come to its feet.

“A little faster.”

“You wanna crash this thing?” the pilot snapped in response. “Fuck!” He pulled violently on the joystick as the hound, not yet on its feet, attempted to catch the chopper. The jaws snapped shut just inches from the side of the aircraft.

Mendez hung on for dear life. His right hand flashed out, hooking around Sebastian’s gear to prevent him from sliding. The pain that shot through his arm blackened his vision momentarily. He grunted and gritted his teeth.

The hound attempted another bite, managing to rise up onto its forelimbs. A thick cable flew through the air, lopping around its neck. It wrapped around once and the head was pulled back with a violent jerk. The hound yelped, then turned.

Lilith stood near one of the taps that fed the hoses that watered the lawns of the stadium, the sturdy, flexible hose in her hands. The hound growled low, rising at last to its feet and turning to face the winged woman. Behind her, the first of the new swarm cleared the top of the bleachers.

“Fuck this,” Mendez muttered. He released Sebastian and ran to the other side of the chopper.

The hound lunged, missing Lilith by a hair. She dodged and cut into the side of the neck. By the spray of blood, she’d hit an artery, but was already healing.

“Turn this bird around, will you?” Mendez shouted to the pilot. The man looked back at him, noticed the mercenary was by the gun, and gave a thumbs up. Rising to evade the advancing swarm of Infected, the pilot turned the chopper so that Mendez would have a clear shot.

Ignoring the pain in his right hand, Mendez steadied the side-mounted gun with his right forearm, aimed and fired. The vibrations of the rapid shots buzzed up and down both arms. Gritting his teeth, Mendez refused to stop. He ran the entire chain of bullets, slamming them into the enormous hound’s neck. Unable to move under the bombardment, the hound braced against the onslaught.

Mendez stared at the hellhound. How it was still on its feet was beyond him. The creature’s head tipped to one side, its features frozen in a snarl. Above the engine noise the Department men heard a wet, sucking sound, as its head fell from its shoulders.

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