by Shane Migliavacca

The group stood near the beach. For the last few minutes since coming up they'd weighed their options. Rochelle sat on a nearby rock. She watched them talk. They for the most part agreed that they should tell somebody. It was just the how and when they disagreed on. Andy wanted to wait. Jan just wanted to leave. Freaked out by the whole thing. Cindy thought they should they should call the cops straight away. Trevor seemed to do a delicate balancing act of going along with his girlfriend Cindy and not really caring what they did. Oliver agreed with his sister. Wanting to get the cops. Rochelle hadn't offered her opinion. Not that they seemed to notice anyway.

"I don't see the big rush." Andy says. "Dude ain't going anywhere, right?"

"What if he has some kind of disease?" Jan asked.

"I don't know." Trevor said. "Guys sealed up tight."

"Let's just go, call the cops." Cindy said. "We can do something somewhere else."

"What if he's one of Stoner Red's guys?" Cindy asked.

"Stoner Red. C'mon hon." Trevor said. "That guys just a pot head."

"No. Nell's boyfriend said He's got a meth lab out here somewhere."

"Whoever he is we need to get out of here. Let the cops deal with it." Jan said.

After that the two couples started talking over one another as they argued what to do.

Rochelle watched Oliver. He seemed frustrated.  He paced back and forth.

"Why don't you just vote on it?" Rochelle asked.

The others stopped talking and looked at her.

How long? How long have I been here? After the internal monitor had woke me from my slumber. It was a simple matter of hitting the release switch. I'd feared in the early days that the switch would malfunction. After everything else. All I'd went through for the motherland. A simple little switch would be my downfall. The latch hissed as it opened.  I pulled my self out of my bed of sorts. I'm in some kind of cave. How did I end up here? There's not enough room to stand. But I can still do some stretches.

My body felt amazing. What those scientists had put me through. It seemed that the process had worked. My eyes. I'll never get used to being able to see in darkness like this. It's like a thousand candles burning.  It sees I've suffered no ill effects from riding in that blasted capsule. To come crashing to earth in that thing? Suicide. Parachute or not. But I live. In a manner of speaking. So far from home. Home.

Priority...Priority...Priority!

Priority One: Establish contact with home base. Receive orders.

Priority Two: Scout the area. 

Captain Borya Vostok remember your mission.

The damn programming. They burned it into my brain. It fills my mind with pain. Overriding everything else. The mission. Yes. No time to worry about home. I have a mission to fulfill. I go back to the capsule. My equipment is there. In a compartment, inside. My knife. Maps. The radio. The radio...damn. Broken. Smashed. The fools didn't account for this. No matter. I can secure one easily enough.

I start making my way out. Climbing up the dirt hill. I can see the opening.  My eyes adjust as I near the light. I can hear birds. And talking. English. Americans. They don't sound military. They sound like children. I marvel at the beauty of the woods around me as I make my way towards them. Creeping through the woods. They stand near a beach talking. They're not that much younger then me and my brother when we joined the Red Army.

Priority...Priority...Priority!

Eliminate any threat to the mission.

No!  These are just children. No threat. I can be gone from here without them knowing.

Eliminate!

Eliminate!

Eliminate!

Eliminate!

They voted. Only Andy and Trevor voted to stay. So they started back down the path to their cars. The day cut short. Rochelle stopped and looked off in the direction of the hole and it's mysterious occupant.  Cindy walked past her. She stops and stands next to her.

"What do you think it is?"

Cindy thought for a moment. "Maybe he's a Russian Astronaut. Like Ollie thinks. Maybe that was some kind of escape pod."

"Yeah, maybe. But how come he's not wearing some kind of space suit?"

From further down the path they heard the sounds of commotion and then Trevor holler. "Fuck!"

The girls ran down the rest of the path.

When Rochelle and Cindy got there they were greeted by the grim, terrified faces of the others. The hoods to Trevor's car and her pickup were both up. Andy was looking at her truck's engine.

Rochelle went over to her truck. "What the hell is going on?"

Andy stepped away from the truck. "Take a look."

Rochelle bent over the truck and looked at what remained of the engine. She closed the hood with a sigh.

"The car is the same." Jan said. "And the tires."

Trevor slams the hood shut. "Shit!"

"Who did it?" Jan asked.

"What do we do?" Cindy asked.

"We get out of here." Andy answered.

There was a brief whistling noise before the impact. The wood spear caught Trevor in the throat. Going through from one side and out the other. The spear stopped half way through. Blood sprayed from the wound. Trevor stumbled about. Looking like some sort of native with one of those insanely large piercings. Everybody started screaming as Trevor flopped face down on the ground. Thrashing about like a broken puppet. It's strings cut.

Rochelle saw him first. He emerged from across the clearing where the cars were parked. He was tall. White skin. White hair in a crew cut. Wearing some kind of military outfit. He strides towards them. Like a man going Christmas shopping. He pulled a large knife from his belt.

"Go!" Somebody screamed. Maybe it was Andy.

She felt them rush past her. Running back down the path towards the lake. Rochelle looked at the two guns in her truck. Could she reach them? He was closing in. She hesitated. Then rushed towards her truck. He saw her. Saw the guns. He jumped up onto the hood in one swift motion. He crouched there like a big cat. They locked eyes. His lips move. He said something. Was it Russian?

Rochelle lunged. Trying to grab one of the rifles through the open driver's side window. The man smashed his fist through the front windshield trying to grab her arm.

Somebody tugged on her arm pulling her away before he could grab her.

"C'mon!" It was Oliver. He practically wrenched her arm from it's socket. Pulling her away from the truck, towards the woods. She took one last look at her truck.

As death closed in on them. They ran.

The spear had been crude but effective. The boy had died quickly. I hesitated. The girl. I could have finished her. But I have no wish to kill these children. But the mission. They would tell the authorities. My presence must not be known. The programming. Will not let me let them go. The more I fight it. The more the pain increases. Till I have no choice. Their vehicles held little of interest. The truck had rifles. For hunting. I'll take them. After all I am not about to hunt?

Oliver felt the brush and branches dig against his skin as the ran through the woods. They weren't even on the path anymore. They'd just blindly ran. His lungs felt like they would burst. His legs burned. Then he saw Jan up ahead stop. Out of breath. The others stopped. Thank god. He had been ready to fall to his knees. He was sure he couldn't have kept up the pace much longer. Sweat soaked his face, his shirt. Rochelle leaned against a tree. She seemed to be scanning the woods around them.

"Where the fuck is he?" Andy said. Out of breath. Looking back the way they'd came. "We have to fight him."

"How?" Jan said.

"He's hunting us." Rochelle said. "Stalking us. Why rush it."

"Shit!" Andy said.

"Then he's underestimating us." Oliver said. "There's more of us. If we just use our heads."

"I hate to tell you dude but the guy is like some zombie Chuck Norris. I don't think we got a chance at shit." Andy said.

Oliver went over to his sister. "How you doing sis?"

She wiped tears from her eyes and hugged him. She started to cry. Oliver held his sister. He wanted to tell her some cliched thing about it would turn out okay. Something to ease her pain. But he just couldn't. There were no words he could find. Instead he just held her.

Rochelle walked by him. She gave him a weak smile and nodded.

"We could try to lure him in." Rochelle said. "Trap him."

"Trap him with what?" Andy said. "We got shit."

"We should keep running." Jan offered.

"Yeah babe. If we keep going we're bound to hit a road or somebody's place. There's a ton of posted land out here. Somebody has to be living out here."

"And we lead that thing right to them?" Oliver asked.

"Well. You got a better idea?"

"Think we should get that sucker. Like Rochelle said."

"I agree." Cindy said. Lifting her head from her brother's shoulder." I want to kill that fucker."

Oliver was amazed how hardcore Rochelle was. She had them gather branches, rocks, their shoelaces and anything else they could get their hands on. As she started putting together some kind of crazy booby trap. Andy stood guard. Keeping an eye out for their white skinned friend. Jan and Cindy were busy using shoe laces and weeds to tie together a mean looking spiked mace. Made from sharpened branches.  Whilst Rochelle used her knife to sharpen more branches. He had been tasked with making a small pit. A few feet deep. He dug with his hands and a large semi flat rock. They'd been silent for some time. Just working. Each trying not to think about the thing out there.

Andy was the first to break the self imposed silence. "You think this will work?"

Rochelle looked over at the hole Oliver had been digging.

"That should be fine."

She hands Oliver a few of the sharpened branches.

"Start setting these in there."

Oliver takes the spikes and presses them down into the dirt.

Rochelle looks at Oliver's work.

"Space them out a little more."

"So are youlike Rambo's daughter?" Andy laughed.

Rochelle didn't. She handed Oliver the rest of the spikes she'd made.

"I don't see you coming up with any thing to help." Cindy said.

Rochelle looked at the small pit of spikes.

"Find some leaves or brush to cover it."

Oliver got up to gather some up. Whether they could make it out of this or not he had no clue. But at least they had a plan of some kind.

Rochelle stood. Brushing off her jeans. She walked over to Andy. Oliver was a few feet away. He watched her. She'd remained silent through Andy's comments. After what he'd seen at the gas station he'd been waiting for her to slug him.

"See anything?" She asked.

"Nada."

"That's what bugs me."

"Fucker probably went the other way."

"I wouldn't bet on it."

"What makes you the damn expert anyway?"

"Nothing. I just know a hunter when I see one."

They waited. Their little trap was ready. The music was as loud as they could get it. Cindy's MP3 player hung from a bush. Some over processed pop song playing. It wasn't loud. But they were betting their pale friend would hear it. They hid as best they could. Oliver had been crouched in a small gully so long his knees burned with stiffness. Not far away Rochelle hid behind a tree. Jan and Cindy were lying flat on their stomachs under some bushes. Andy knelled behind another tree. Not far from were their little trap was. He was holding Rochelle's makeshift mace. Oliver was wondering if the others were ready to give up on this trap. They'd been waiting and waiting. Nothing Oliver was starting to think Andy was right. When a large amount of leaves fell from one of the trees. Drifting down from overhead. Before any of them could react to it he dropped out of one of the trees. Landing in a couched position.  One of Rochelle's rifles was slung over his shoulder. He got up. Looking around him. His gaze went right to the MP3 player. He walked towards it and stopped, He looked down at the ground and then looked around. Was he smiling? Did he know? Before they could know for sure Andy charged at him with the spiked mace.

"Andy! No!" It was Jan. Who got up from her hiding place and ran towards them.

Andy swung the mace. Connecting with the big man's outstretched hand. One of the spikes driving into it.  He pulled his impaled hand away, Yanking the weapon from Andy's hands in the process. Oliver felt panic overtake him. This was it. Somehow he was moving forward before he'd ever realized it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cindy bolt up, trying to catch Jan. But it was too late.

The Russian pulled the spiked mace from his hand. Swinging it around behind him. He caught Jan dead center. Oliver saw this and tackled his sister. He saw Rochelle run past them as they hit the ground. Bo's knife in hand.

Jan hit the ground. Lying on her back with the spiked mace sticking out of her chest. Blood covering her chest. She tried to say something but only blood escaped her lips. Andy had stood there stunned the whole time. In shock. Then he saw Jan and took a swing at the Russian. One, two, three blows. Nothing. The big man just grabbed Andy by the throat and lifted him up. With one hand. And deposited him face first into the spiked pit. Andy spasmed as his body was impaled on the spikes.

Rochelle plunged the knife into the Russian's back. Between the shoulder blades. That seemed to have an effect on him. He staggered in pain. He turned to Rochelle. He said something in Russian and then backhanded her. Sending her flying a few feet. She crashed to the ground stunned.

The Russian leaned against a tree. Trying to pry the knife from his back. Oliver got to his feet. He hadn't even realized Cindy was swearing at him for grabbing her. He pulled her up off the ground.

"What the fuck Ollie?"

"We have to run!"

He pulled his sister along. He keep his eyes on the Russian. Who was preoccupied with the knife in his back. Oliver went to Rochelle. She looked like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. He and Cindy helped her to her feet.

"Go!" Oliver ordered.

The three limped off. Leaving Andy and Jan. Both beyond caring.

Vostok watched them go. Whether she'd meantto or not the girl had hit him in the hardest spot in the back for him to reach. It took a little effort to pull the knife out. It wouldn't be hard to find them again. Their plan had failed. They remaining ones would be running. Even the girl that had stabbed him. She would be a good solider. The way she handled herself. He turned his attention to the little box hanging on the bush. Music continued to come from it. He walked past the body of the boy. He took the box from it's perch. It was so small. What kind of device was this. He turned it over in his hands. Magnificent. How long had it been since the experiment? Was there still a mission? Was there a home to return to?  

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