Men Go to War in Search of Something

Part 6

The group walked through the forest and came to a barren hill. There were plenty of oddly shaped objects sticking up from the ground that looked like bones. Mason took a quick picture. And if she and Slipko stayed relatively close to James once they entered that area, no one could tell you.

The group came to the edge of a cliff overlooking a large pit. There was no grass at all in the pit, and to Mason's best guess it was at least a mile wide, maybe more. There was a strange greenish gas that floated all over, and there were huge skeletons dotting the barren landscape.

"Smell that?" Marlow said, "That's death."

"What the hell is this place?" One of the soldiers asked, Mason didn't know his name.

"This is what's left of Kong's parents."

Mason could barely breath for the smell, "I've taken enough photos of mass graves to know what one looks like."

"Crash spot's just on the other side of this valley," Packard told them, "We'll cross and make it to the highest point west."

Marlow was furiously shaking his head, "Uh, uh. This place is a huge no-no zone."

"We need to be going to the north side right now," A panicked Woodword said in a fast and small voice.

"And you're welcome to do that my man," Packard called harshly, "By yourself!" Woodword didn't answer. "I'm not leaving Jack out there. Now who's with me?"

"We can make it," James muttered. But even he sounded unsure.

"Mighty right we can make it. Now stay sharp, keep an eye out."

The group started to figure out a way to get down the cliff, but not before Mason heard Marlow mutter, "I've only been here 28 years what do I know?"

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They walked cautiously through the mist, guns up and ready at any sign of movement. Randa had a less professional camera than Mason and was taking pictures of the bones. Mason didn't even bother to lift her own camera, she never wanted to remember this place.

"Carl," Mills told his buddy, "We don't got time for that man, put the cigarette out."

Carl just gave him a look and flicked his already lit cigarette out into the dirt. The gas was ignited by the ash of the butt and a momentary flame erupted.

"Watch those fumes!" Randa called out, continuing to take pictures. "Idiots," he muttered more to himself.

The group continued through the graveyard, Packard calling at them to hurry it up. Suddenly a sound that was like a low growl came through the air. Everyone froze.

"Run!"

They scattered as quickly as possible, a group of soldiers hiding in a skull while Mason, James, Marlow, and Slipko crouched down behind some smaller bones sticking out of the ground. The Skull Crawler (at least Mason thought it was a Skull Crawler, she couldn't see anything), came between the two bones where she and James were hiding behind. The thing sounded like it was choking and a skull fell to the ground with something metal through it.

Dog tags.

The thing choked once again and withdrew, stalking off away from the group. Mason breathed a sigh of relief and they slowly stood up, the soldiers coming out of the skull as well.

"Alright!" Packard called out, "Everyone rally and stay together. Let's move!"

At that moment Mason heard a small, "oh shit" before a gun started going off and the thing roared again.

"Randa!" Brooks called out, alerting the others who the victim had been. Slipko continued firing until the Skull Crawler was out of sight, and Brooks cocked his shotgun.

"Set up the fifty!" Packard called, and a soldier hurried to set up a huge gun on top of one of the skulls.

Everyone stood in eerie silence, guns up and ready. A small slicing sound came from Marlow, who had pulled his Samurai sword from it's holder and held it in a fighting stance above his head. They stood in a circle, the only alert of where the Skull Crawler was coming from the camera Randa had been holding, still going off inside the creature.

"Fumeiyo no mae no shi" 

It was silent for one whole minute. One minute that seemed to last an eternity, and then, all hell broke loose.

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The translation of the Japanese is "Death before Dishonor"