David Golemon - Event

Julie hugged Hal and with Billy's help assisted him to his feet, and they slowly made their way out of the kitchen.

"But I finally got that fucker," Hal said with his arms around Julie and Billy. Hal gave one final look at the beast and shook his head admiringly. "What a tough SOB," he mumbled.

Collins immediately ushered everyone into the dining room and then called the base camp, looking around as the others found places to sit and rest. He watched Julie as she went behind the bar and filled glasses full of ice and water and passed them around. As Jack listened to the report from the base camp, he was glad his remaining men had removed their earpieces and let them dangle as they removed gloves, helmets, and the new body armor that had saved most of their lives. Collins turned away while listening to the voice on the other end explaining the details of the loss of life belowground and at the base camp. Collins shook his head as he listened to the numbers. When he was done, he turned and slowly walked up to Everett, who was just staring out the window. The major took a deep breath when he saw that the big SEAL still had his radio on and his earpiece in. In exasperation Jack removed his helmet and took his gloves off and threw them inside.

"We don't know for sure if she was one of the casualties, Carl," he said softly. At first it didn't look as if Everett was going to respond. Carl, for his part, was surprised that Collins had seen through his ruse with Lisa so quickly. But what did it matter?

"You didn't get a chance to know her, Jack. Most people just looking at her would've thought she was just another dumb blond or some stupid crap like that. But she was smart." Carl spit some dirt from his mouth. His voice lowered as he again looked out the window. "And brave? I've never known a braver woman. If the parent hit the base camp, she would have done her duty," he said as he turned and faced Jack.

Collins patted him on the back and turned to the others. "They're sending a Pave Low to pick us up. Is the way to the roof through there, Ms. Dawes? I came up the outside stairs earlier and I don't fancy going out there and doing it again."

"Yes, back through the kitchen," Julie's tired voice answered, and then she winced as Ryan applied ointment to the nasty cut running the entire length of her back.

"Don't bother to hand out menus," Everett said from the window, "Major, we're about to have company."

Collins ran to where Everett was looking out the window. Jack made no reaction for Julie's and Billy's sakes as he watched four or five waves of parting concrete and street asphalt head right for the Broken Cactus. Two zigzagged and crossed the road, sending up huge chunks of roadway as they crossed Main Street, then suddenly they swerved back toward them.

"Site One, Site One, we have company. We're headed for the roof, repeat, we are headed for the roof," Collins said as calmly as he could into the mike, then put his gloves back on. "Okay, kids, let's head up. Ryan, you first, take the civilians.... Where is the other one?"

Everyone looked around, but Tony had disappeared.

"Don't have time for this, let's just hope he knows what he's doing," Collins said, as he placed his last magazine into his XM8.

The navy pilot led the protesting Julie, Billy, and the wounded Hal to the stairs as they yelled about not leaving Tony. They were quickly followed by the remaining five Delta and Rangers. Collins called for Everett, who was still looking out the large dining-room window. Carl silently watched the advancing animals while shoving a new magazine into his own assault rifle, then he suddenly turned and dove as the floor exploded in the exact place he had been standing. He rolled and came up firing into the animal as it cleared the wall and floor. The rounds struck but only a few caused any noticeable damage.

The beast struck out and its claws sent Jack's XM8 crashing against the wall. Then it quickly turned on Everett and swiped, catching him on the new vest. The nylon covering material separated easily, but then the steel-like claws struck the packed-abalone-shell case and ricocheted off. Still, Carl was thrown across the room, the rounds from his weapon stitching a pattern in the wooden ceiling and sending 5.56-mm rounds slamming into the headboard of Billy's bed upstairs.

Now the Talkhan turned its full attention on Jack. He quickly pulled his personal combat knife from its scabbard and faced the inhuman form before him. The beast roared, shaking the remaining dishes and pans in the kitchen. Jack quickly glanced in the direction of Everett, who was just starting to regain his senses after striking the far wall.

The beast watched Jack, its brows arched to show the full glory of its yellow eyes, then it charged, head up and claws extended. Jack didn't move at first. To a layman it would have seemed Collins was frozen in fear, but Jack had a mind that always planned three moves ahead. As the beast charged and swiped at Jack, he ducked, barely escaping being raked by the death-dealing talons. As he did so, he quickly brought his black-painted, stainless-steel-edged knife up and slashed at the creature's leg tendons that were exposed when its leg muscles flexed. The Talkhan screamed in pain as the knife severed the tendon in its right knee joint. Before the beast could turn on Collins, he had come up behind it and instantly found a vulnerable spot in its massive shoulder armor. He quickly sank the blade in and out three times in succession, wounding the animal to the point it was delirious in pain and outraged at the assault.

Everett shook himself and looked about for his assault rifle. He found it three feet away.

Jack was surprised how quickly the animal recovered and regained its momentum. Instead of turning around to face its enemy, the beast quickly brought its tail up and slapped at Jack. The stinger caught in the front of his vest and pulled him down to the floor, slamming him into the bloodstained linoleum.

"Stay down, Jack!" Everett cried.

Collins quickly covered his head as the XM8 opened up.

Taking advantage of the animal's distraction as Everett slammed rounds into it, Jack rolled free, dodging two quick stabs of the creature's stinger, and recovered his own weapon. He opened up, adding his firepower to Everett's. Somewhere in the firestorm of tracers and smoke, the animal dove back through the hole it had entered by. Jack stopped firing, then watched the SEAL as his weapon finally ran out of ammunition.

"What do you say we get some sun?" Jack asked, eyeing Everett closely.

"Let's go," he said, turning and quickly running for the kitchen and the safety of the roof.

As they broke free of the stairway and into the bright sunshine of the late afternoon, they saw the other members of the team firing their weapons over the false front of the building. Julie was holding Billy in her arms and had an arm around Hal as they huddled at the feet of Ryan as the flier fired one shot at a time from his nine-millimeter handgun.

Collins and Everett ran to the front where Ryan was standing and looked out over the small town. The creatures were everywhere, diving back into the ground, then surfacing a moment later.

The soldiers watched incredulously as round after round bounced from them and into the dirt or into a wall after slamming into the creatures' armor.

"Shit," Collins said under his breath.

Two loud explosions rocked the building as the Rangers tossed grenades over the side. A Delta sharpshooter brought one of the animals down with a perfect shot into one of its eyes. It stumbled and skidded into the side of the building. A Ranger popped up and threw another grenade down right next to the fallen beast and it went off, jolting the creature away from the wall. Other animals fell upon the still-smoldering carcass, tearing huge chunks of flesh from it, devouring their sibling.