Salvage Station 23

Chapter 1, Part 4

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The night air crackled with tension as Olivia and her team huddled in the central train car, their makeshift command center. The eerie laughter-screams had grown closer, setting everyone on edge.

"Alright, listen up," Olivia said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides. "These things are fast, but they're not invincible. Light hurts them, so that's our main defense. Zoe, how are those floodlights coming?"

Zoe pushed her glasses up nervously. "I've rigged up three. They're powerful, but they drain our batteries fast. We've got maybe two hours of juice."

Olivia nodded, "It'll have to do". "Max, Eli, you two take the north side. Aiden, you're with me on the south. Mia and David, stay here with Liam and Zoe. If anything gets past us, it's up to you to protect them."

As they moved to their positions, a blood-curdling shriek pierced the night. Olivia's heart raced as she saw them - three dark figures, their white eyes gleaming in the darkness, circling just beyond the light's reach.

"Hold steady," she called out. "Wait for them to make a move."

Suddenly, one of the creatures darted forward, its claws slashing at the air. Olivia reacted instantly, swinging her makeshift weapon - a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. The creature howled as the barbs tore into its flesh, but it didn't retreat.

"They're not as smart as they are fast," Aiden shouted, swinging a crowbar at another attacker. "We can outthink them!"

Olivia nodded, an idea forming. "Zoe!" she yelled into her walkie-talkie. "On my signal, hit the floods!"

She waited until the creatures were fully committed to their attack, then screamed, "Now!"

The yard exploded with light. The creatures shrieked in agony, their attacks faltering. Olivia and Aiden pressed their advantage, driving the monsters back.

On the north side, Max and Eli were holding their own. Max had fashioned a spear from a broomstick and a kitchen knife, keeping the creatures at bay with quick jabs. Eli, always the tinkerer, had rigged up a slingshot that launched small LED flashlights - each hit causing the creatures to recoil in pain.

"They don't like it up close and personal, do they?" Max grinned, his bravado masking his fear.

But their victory was short-lived. With a sputtering groan, the floodlights flickered and died.

"Zoe!" Olivia shouted into her walkie-talkie. "What happened?"

"The batteries are fried!" Zoe's panicked voice crackled back. "We pushed them too hard!"

In the sudden darkness, the creatures rallied. One leapt at Olivia, its claws raking across her arm. She cried out in pain but managed to roll away, coming up swinging.

"Fall back to the command car!" she ordered. "We need to regroup!"

As they retreated, Olivia saw one of the creatures cornering Max. Without thinking, she charged, tackling the monster. They tumbled to the ground, its foul breath hot on her face as they grappled.

"Olivia!" Max yelled, scrambling to help.

Just as the creature's claws were about to close on Olivia's throat, a blinding light erupted nearby. The monster shrieked and recoiled.

Mia stood there, holding what looked like a homemade flare. "You're not the only one with tricks," she said, helping Olivia to her feet.

With renewed hope, they fought their way back to the command car. Once inside, David slammed the reinforced door shut.

"Everyone okay?" Olivia asked, wincing as she examined the gash on her arm.

"We're alive," Eli panted. "That's something."

"Those flares are genius, Mia," Max said admiringly. "How many do we have?"

Mia's face fell. "Just three more. I was working on them in secret, wasn't sure if they'd work."

Olivia nodded, her mind racing. "Okay, we've bought ourselves some time. But we need a plan. We can't just keep fighting them off forever."

"Maybe we don't have to," Zoe piped up, her eyes shining with an idea. "Remember what David said about the lighthouse? What if we could rig up something similar?"

"With what?" Aiden asked skeptically.

"The old locomotive," Zoe explained excitedly. "Its headlight is massive. If we could power it up and get it to rotate..."

"We could create our own makeshift lighthouse," Olivia finished, hope blooming in her chest. "Zoe, you're a genius."

A heavy thud against the door reminded them of the immediate danger. The creatures were still out there, and they sounded angry.

"Alright, here's the plan," Olivia said, her leader instincts kicking in. "Zoe, you and Eli start working on that lighthouse. The rest of us will run interference, keep those things distracted. We've got three flares and whatever batteries are left in our flashlights. Make them count."

As they prepared to head back out into the night, Olivia caught Mia's eye. "That was some quick thinking out there. Thanks."

Mia nodded, a small smile on her face. "Guess we all have our secrets."

With a deep breath, Olivia turned to face her team. "Alright, Salvage Station 23. Let's show these monsters what we're made of."

The night was far from over, but for the first time since the attack began, Olivia dared to hope they might just make it through.

~~~