“Everyone move out. Follow your sergeants, and don’t stop for anything. If we bunch together and try to form a line, we’ll get bogged down. We move, we live. Protect one another, but don’t fight for lost causes. Some of us are going to die. Now move!”
Everyone rushed for the turnstiles, which a team of men had managed to remove minutes before for easier passage through the archway. The army filtered through in pairs a half-second apart. It was going to take several minutes to get everyone through.
“This is a farce,” said Thomas, unhelpfully. “We’re sitting ducks out here. Was this your best plan?”
Mass snarled. “From what I can see, the only other exit is over there. You think that would be better?” The area Mass was talking about was at the west of the fort. A large metal gate there had burst open and demons were spilling through from an access road. The soldiers in the upper windows had concentrated their fire on the entryway, and so far they were keeping the horde at bay. Eventually, the demons would make it through though. Mass grabbed a nearby sergeant. “You! Form a rearguard with thirty men. Do it fast.”
Whoever the sergeant was, he did what he was asked, rushing to gather a group and form a rearguard. In less than a minute, thirty men were firing at the demons entering through the rear gate, helping to keep them back. It would buy them a little more time.
“You need to hurry this up,” said Damien, appearing from amongst the crowd.
Mass shook his head. “Yeah, no shit. You got a better idea, let me know.”
“Not my call. I’m just saying you don’t have as long as you think.”
“What do you—”
Part of the fort exploded, the building where the injured were housed. Men fell from the windows as the brickwork collapsed around them. Their screams joined the erratic gunfire and the side of the fort collapsed like a sandcastle.
Mass had no words except for some that most would deem obscene. Addy joined him, using words that were even more offensive. Smithy stared up at the sky, his handguns by his side.
Crimolok swept away what was left of the top level of the fort’s damaged building. Anyone left inside was now most certainly dead. The entire army, those not yet through the turnstile housing, turned and fired, several hundred rifles cracking together in a deafening assault. Scorch marks covered parts of Crimolok’s gigantic body, but the bullets did nothing but ricochet harmlessly into the sky.
Smithy still had his handguns by his sides, but he was shaking his head now. “It’s invulnerable. We can’t hurt it.”
Thomas chuckled like a madman. “Yes, we suffered that quandary last night. I’m assuming no one here knows how to solve it.”
Mass shoved Thomas out of his way and bellowed, “Everyone form up. I want to see an organised retreat. I want to see bodies moving through that exit. Go-go-go!”
Smithy snapped out of his daze and began firing. Addy joined him, but she fired at the demons that were now teeming in through the rear gate. The courtyard was being overrun. Men began to panic.
Mass roared over the din, “Don’t stop fighting!”
“We are all warriors,” Thomas joined in, bellowing in a way belying his skinny frame. “We do not give in to fear.”
Everyone stood and fought, but two-thirds of the army were out of ammunition or unarmed. These men could do nothing but cower and pray that their brothers were able to hold the line.
Mass turned, making sure men were still fleeing through the turnstile entrance. They were, but who knew what was meeting them on the other side. The demons were filling the courtyard. Crimolok smashed apart more of the fort, seeking to clear the obstacle and get inside to the courtyard.
Damien moved in front of Mass, getting his attention. “Men are going to have to die. It’s the only way anyone will make it out of here alive.”
Mass knew it was true. It would take another five minutes to get everyone through the exit. No way did they have that long. The best they could do was to buy a few minutes to evacuate as many people as possible. “I’ll go. Anyone who wants to—”
Damien shoved him, a stiff prod in the shoulder. “Stop playing hero. Without you out there leading them, these men won’t make it to the docks. Unless you want to trust Thomas to get them there?”
He didn’t trust in that at all. From the looks of him, Thomas wouldn’t even make it halfway back to the docks.
Mass approached the old man and placed a hand on his frail shoulder. “Call in the guns and clear us a path. Whoever makes it out of here needs every advantage they can get.” Thomas stared at him for a moment and said nothing, so Mass shook him. “Now! Before you’re too weak to make the call. I was planning on killing you, Thomas, but it looks like the demons got there first. You want to redeem yourself, this is how you do it.”
“Y-Yes, of course.” Thomas lifted his radio and gave the order. His hands trembled the entire time.
Mass moved towards the rearguard. The demons were about to collide with the men and women fighting there. Too many were coming in from the access road.
Mass levelled a primate with his Benelli as bricks rained down in the courtyard. Crimolok continued dismantling the fort.
We’re all dead. What can we do against this thing but run? I damned us all when I shot Vamps.
Most of the terrified soldiers had realised that shooting Crimolok was of no use, but even against the demons they were doomed to fail. They didn’t have enough guns.
