The Company [Ongoing]

8 - Lethal Company

The freaky, human-sized doll fell sideways before James terrified eyes. Another loud bang, deafened him, the bright flash giving him after-images every time he blinked. Dakarai screamed. Rebecca yelled. Thuds and scuffing. James climbed back to his feet, dizzy from fear and shock. He realized Dakarai were wrestling the monster on the ground, holding on to the shotgun. James joined the fray without another seconds' hesitation.

The thing kicked him, hard, and James grunted in pain.

'Get him!' Dakarai hollerred.

Wincing against the red hot pain in his leg, he jumped back in as the thing tried to stand back up, swinging and kicking wildly at them.

'Stay down!' James roared and threw his weight at it, toppling it back down. They grappled, and got kicked. It clicked and somehow reloaded, despite them holding it down. It was too strong. The head raised and the eye stared at them for a second. Snapping shut, the monster aimed the shotgun at them. James yanked his head to the side. Another blast roared. James grabbed a piece of scrap on the ground and started beating it against the round head. It twisted and kicked.

'Get back! Let me hit it! Bill shouted from behind, and James jumped back.

Bill came at it with a yellow yield sign, battered its head. It raised the shotgun again.

'No!' James roared.

Another loud blast and flash.

Something hit James visor, darkening it. He couldn't see and flailed, stumbling backwards.

Metallic banging and Rebecca shrieking jolted James out of his panic. He stopped and brought his hands up, wiping the visor. The sticky dark fluid came off enough, allowing him a blurred vision of the scene.

Bill and Rebecca both beat the monster with scrap. Behind them, James spotted Dakarai's legs. Shit. Had he been hit? Dread grabbed a hold of James. He bellowed in fury and ran back, kicking the thing. The head opened, and without thinking, he punched into the mouth, hitting the eye in the centre.

The monster fired the shotgun into the ceiling, raining gravel over them. James didn't care. If it'd hurt Dak, it would die.

Without thinking, James grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and yanked it loose, stumbling back in the process. Then he spun the weapon around, and fumbling only for a second, brought it up before his eyes, aimed at the gaping mouth and freaky eye staring at him. James pulled the trigger. The powerful recoil punched into his shoulder. The boom deafening.

Silence.

James squinted, then opened his eyes fully again. The doll lay still, its eye completely erased from existence. Bill and Rebecca stood panting beside it, still ready to beat it with scrap.

Letting the shotgun go with a clatter, James ran around his friends to help Dakarai, and stopped.

'No...' he breathed, his throat constricted. 'No.'

Dakarai's body lay still on the ground, but where his head should have been, only a bloody mass remained, with pieces of the black helmet sprinkled through. Blood and gore had splattered all over the floor. It took James several seconds to connect what had happened. What had blinded him. He raised a hand and wiped his visor again. His black gloves came off wet. He looked at his orange suit. Red dots spattered his chest. He swallowed. Bile burned in the back of his throat.

'No!'

'Oh no...' Rebecca gasped beside him. 'Oh Lord. What do we do?'

James stomach cramped. He spun and tore off his helmet, ran to the closest wall and heaved until nothing but bile came out.