Antarctic Ice Beasts by Hunter Shea

Author:Hunter Shea [Shea, Hunter]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2019-02-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Once the pall of endless night returned, the unholy tremors ceased as well. Nichols raised his head and came face-to-face with one of the beasts. Its black lips were pulled back, fangs bared, dripping with saliva that froze at his feet. The glare from his headlamp bounced along the creature’s nightmare-inducing visage.

Not daring to rise to his feet, he happily turned away to look at Freedom Base. The entire entryway had been reduced to rubble. Dozens of men stood before the wreckage, silent and waiting. But for what?

“The wind,” Holli said.

At first, Nichols ignored her, thinking her voice was just another bit of conjuring in his head.

“It stopped,” she added.

Now he did look at her. Her goggles sat high on her cap and her balaclava was yanked down under her chin, cracks and shards of ice hanging from it.

She was right. All of the madness had ceased in an instant. The sudden silence and stillness was more chilling than the weather.

“I think it’s best we don’t make any sudden moves,” Nichols said, whispering. One of the beasts cocked its massive head as if trying to decipher his words.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Sherm said. The albino nose of one of the animals was sniffing at his Big Red. Sherm cowered against the wall, unable to get away from the inquisitive beast.

“Where are Jeannie and everyone else?” Holli asked. Her teeth were chattering.

It was the question that consumed Nichols. He didn’t have an answer, so he didn’t even try to provide one. He had a very strong, devastating suspicion, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice it.

“You should shoot that one right between the eyes,” Holli said, nodding at the creature closest to Nichols.

“What good would that accomplish?” he shot back, still keeping his voice down. The beast snorted, its vile breath invading his nose and lungs.

“Because I’ll bet they’ve never seen or heard anything like it. Hit them with something unknown and they’ll go running. Just like punching a bully in the face.”

He looked at her as if she had become unhinged. Perhaps they all had. “These are no bullies, Hols. What’s to say I shoot this one and the others go in for the kill?”

Holli looked to Sherm, his eyes wide and alert, then to the creatures and the men guarding the ruined entrance. “At least we go down fighting. Empty the gun in as many as you can and let’s hope the religious nuts are right and we get a one way pass to Heaven for being murdered in a shit show like this.”

He wanted to tell her she was crazy, but part of him suspected she might be right.

“I’m not doing a damn thing until I find out what happened to Jeannie.”

“We may freeze to death before that happens,” Sherm said. The light from his headlamp started to dim. How long would it be before they ran out of light as well?

A silent commotion rippled through the men. Their mouths opened and closed like gasping fish in eerie unison.

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