Shouldn't Be

chapter 6

D squad hurried down the main corridor towards the central courtyard area of the base. Following the group formations that had been drilled into them till they were like clockwork, the squad entered the main lobby and moved up to the bomb proof wall that had been activated to block the main entrance. Gunfire and explosions could be heard on the other side.

“Alright” said the sergeant “this wall will be dropped for three seconds on my command. You all know the layout of the courtyard, we'll take cover with formation 3.”

The squad all nodded slightly and the sergeant raised a hand, slowly he counted down the fingers on his hand. As he reached zero he pushed a button on a radio he had and someone up in the command room deactivated the wall. The squad burst into action, leaping through the sudden gap and falling into cover of the short wall just outside the main entrance. Perfectly in sync the squad stood up from their cover, weapons at the ready. And the squad stared into hell. Fires raged all across the courtyard with soldiers visible in the free spaces. They were all firing but D squad couldn't see the enemy. The flames waned in front of them and an APC came into view. The squad kept scanning the area for targets but there still wasn't anyone in sight. The other soldiers were all firing towards the APC so the sergeant aimed down his scope to get a better look. After a few seconds he looked up again before quickly looking back down his scope.

“All squad, aim at the APC! I repeat the targets are moving through the APC!”

His squad immediately snapped to aiming at the back of the armoured vehicle.

“Sir” said one of his soldiers “there's no exit at the back of the APC, they'll have to get out at the side doors”

“I don't mean they're moving through the APC” said the sergeant “I mean that they're moving through the APC!”

Even as he said this a tiny spark appeared in the centre of the armour covered vehicle's rear. A few moments later and molten metal began to drip down from the small hole that was getting progressively bigger.

“What?” said another squaddie “they have welding equipment or something?”

The sergeant didn't answer, he could make out movement through the gap. His finger tightened on the trigger of his rifle when the hole exploded outwards. When the flames cleared the sergeants eyes widened, an arm was sticking out of the much bigger hole. The sergeant wondered how they could stand it, the arm was wreathed in flames. But even as he thought this, the arm pointed. And just briefly it looked to the sergeant that, actually, the fire looked like it was covering the arm not burning it. The sergeant's sixth sense of danger ,that had saved his life on many an occasion, roared a warning.

“Take Cover! Now!” he shouted grabbing the two squad members nearest him.

Conditioned response kicked in at the command and those two squad members grabbed the ones nearest to them. In an instant the squad was down under cover again. And just in time as a huge gout of flame burst out over the top of the wall and singed the back of the sergeant's neck. As soon as the fire was gone the squad smoothly rose back up into position. The hole in the APC was much bigger and the figure inside enlarged it with his bare hands, the metal melting and bending at his touch.

“Jesus Christ” whispered the sergeant.

A small boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, in clothes that weren't scorched at all, flicked the molten metal off his hands. The boy's expression was blank, his blue eyes seemed dead, and he raised a hand and pointed at the squad. Once more the sergeant's sixth sense made itself heard but too late. The sergeant opened his mouth to shout 'take cover' when the soldiers on either side of him burst into flames. Quick to respond the sergeant kicked the legs out from under his men and rolled them on the ground to extinguish the flames. But as they went out and the men lay there groaning the other squad members all burst into flames too. The sergeant stared, for once unsure as to what to do. But before he could act water rocketed out from behind them, drenching the men and putting out the flames.

From behind? Thought the sergeant but the wall...

He turned to look and what he saw was another hole, this one ripped through the bomb proof wall. Another child was stepping through it; this one had black hair and looked a bit younger and was dragging the emergency fire hose that was installed in the lobby. This was what he was using to put the fire out. One of the soldiers managed to raise his gun but the boy just turned the water on him till he dropped the weapon. The black haired boy dropped the hose and wiped his brow.

“Phew” he said grinning “hehe, morning Neil”