Operation: Patagonia by William Meikle

Author:William Meikle
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2022-05-31T23:00:00+00:00

- Banks -

Banks led the four of them out the front of the tower, across the open area and into a narrow street that headed north. He turned to give McMaster a final wave to indicate their direction, then headed off at a fast walking pace, the Argentinians fitting silently in behind him as if they belonged there, with Wiggo bringing up the rear.

As they moved along the ancient street they saw more evidence of a hurried emptying of the city, but nothing to say that it had been inhabited at any point in centuries, possibly millennia; if it was taboo that was keeping the giant beasts outside, it was one firmly rooted in some racial memory. Banks could only wonder at what scenario, what cataclysm, might leave such a scar down through what must be tens of generations. Whatever it might be, he was thankful for it, for it meant they were able to travel quickly and unheeded through the ruins in silence. There had been no repeat of the bellowing roars from the hills and at one point when he got a clear sight up the valley, he saw that the cave mouths where the giants lived were empty and silent. He couldn't shake the feeling that their every move was being watched, but at least they were no longer under attack.

The feeling of being under scrutiny got stronger as they approached the outskirts of the city where it butted up against the rising slope of the side of the valley. The silence felt heavy, almost oppressive. He brought the four of them to a halt in the lee of the ten-foot tall wall that marked the perimeter of the town. A single narrow doorway led out onto the hillside and Banks eyed it warily.

"I don't like this one bit," he said. "But we need a way out of here, so we're going up that hill. We'll be exposed all the way though, so keep your eyes open. If you see anything, shoot first and wait for orders later. I can't see any places to take cover, but that also means I can't see anywhere where the buggers might be hiding. We go up, and we go fast. If we find a way out, we'll get the others up behind us later. But for now, our destination is the top of the hill. Everybody got that?"

Alvarez quickly relayed the info to the Argentinian private, Banks got a round of nods in reply and without waiting any longer led the way out onto the track.

This one wasn't paved and cobbled, being more of an animal-made trail than man-made, rutted and hardened by many years of passing beasts. And beasts of some heft at that, given the size and frequency of the petrified mounds of droppings that littered the trail.

"Shite. That's all I need," he heard Wiggo mutter at the rear, then forced all his concentration on the climb ahead.

As they went up, Banks began to see signs that, at higher altitudes at least, the path had been in much more recent use than the city below.

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