Chapter 199: Growls

“Group two, post yourselves around the tops and sides of the entrances. We need to hold out here for a moment before crossing the gorge.” Hugo instructed to the already very tired Mad Dogs.

They had been rushing all morning to keep ahead of the Skull as they made out for the stadium. Yet even though they had tried their upmost to mask their movements, the Skull were right on their heels. Hugo had even set up faux defensive lines that made it look as if the Mad Dogs, as a whole, were planning on fighting, while in reality it was only a few LMG gunners laying heavy fire, as the rest rushed on ahead. Yet these plans didn’t work. As soon as the bullets stopped, the Skull were following right away.

Hugo watched the entrance to the stadium from the inside on the dusty field. He rubbed his temples as he thought, though the headache he currently had wasn’t helping. “What is going on here? They are being far to persistent and knowledgeable in dealing with our movements. Could there be a traitor among us?”

Hugo looked around him at those of group one panting on the dusty sand field and those of groups three and four clamoring about on the rusting metal stands to get in a defensive place to aim at the stadium entrance. They all looked tired, determined, and battle hardened. They were Mad Dogs through and through.

“No, there couldn’t be. The changes in my routes and plans have been too quick to be able to relay them properly and accurately to the enemy. There’s still the possibility of the Skull hearing us from a walkie-talkie of their own, but as far as I know they don’t have the equipment for that. Still, they seem to almost want us to come here. They have made no attempts to redirect us away to a less defendable area, like the neighborhoods or with our backs to the gorge. Is this a trap?”

“Gas! Gas!” Someone yelled out from the stands by the entrance.

Hugo looked up to indeed see that a whiteish yellow smoke was spewing out from two cans that were now bouncing through the stadiums entrance. The trap idea he had seemed to be becoming more plausible now. Yet how it was a trap, he didn’t understand. There were only two places to enter from into the stadium. One by the way they came in and the other to their backs that led to the bridge crossing the gorge.

“Looks like tear gas.” Hugo shouted to the worried Mad Dogs. “Just stay clear of it, cover you mouths with your shirts and breath lightly. It will dissipate soon. Keep an eye out for any movements for them rushing in!”

Hugo then took a glance at the other entrance. “Are they planning to surround us and come in from there?” He then kicked the thigh of an armed gangster sitting next to him. “Hey, you and two others, go checkout the far entrance and survey the bridge. If you see anyone, just start shooting and we will come to help.”

“Fine…” The gangster grumbled and got up heavily.

…

“They are inside, and the gas has been launched into the entrance. Are we ready now?” Crows Beak asked as he rubbed his hands together eagerly.

“Yes. Have all forces deploy grapple lines and prepare the automatic rope climbers.” Bone Dust replied while stroking his white pointed beard confidently. “On my signal we all will invade the stadium from the top edges and shoot them all like fish in a barrel!”

“Ke-ke-ke! This is finally going to happen! Destroying the largest portion of the Mad Dogs in one fell swoop. Soon we can finally control this town as it was meant to be.” Crows Beak cackled as he scurried away on all fours.

“Yes, as we should.” Bone Dust murmured to himself.

As the Skull surrounded the stadium’s edge on the north and western sides, Crows Beak shot a few more tear gas cannisters and he even shot a few gun’s rounds through the gas to further distract the Mad Dogs inside. Crows Beak was just about to signal to Bone Dust that everything was ready, when he heard a commotion from inside the stadium. It sounded different than any expected commotion, rather it sounded as if a barn yard of animals were going on a rampage.

“Eh, no matter. We will find out soon enough.” Crows Beak smoke to himself as he turned to wave at Bone Dust.

Bone Dust saw it and with his aging, but powerful voice ordered for the Skulls attack. In mass, the Skull forces shot up their grappling hooks and most latched onto the stadiums railing on the first try. Then with another command everyone ascended together. Grabbing the stadiums railing and pulling themselves to peer over the edge, every Skull was shocked by what they were witnessing.

Twisted were massacring the Mad Dogs on the stadiums field and stands. It looked as if the Mad Dogs were being forced to fight in some bloody gladiator match, one where they had no chance of winning. Pouring in from the gorge bridge, the Twisted, mainly Night Hounds and Logos Cutters, swarmed in numbers that could be dozens if not hundreds!

The scattered and coverless Mad Dogs could only stand their ground and shoot frantically at the seemingly endless stream of bloodthirsty monsters. Already many of the Twisted were blasted into bloody puddles, but the humans were becoming more outnumbered with every second. Then there came a chest pounding bellow that sounded out from the stadiums far entrance. A second later a massive, angry Plains Strider busted through the entrance tossing concrete in every direction with his massive horns while bellowing once more!

“E-everyone!” Bone Dust stammered to shout after overcoming his disbelief. “Retreat back to the Nest. We must warn the rest and prepare to defend ourselves! We have to go now and avoid being spotted by the Twisted!”

Heeding him right away, the Skull all descended like rocks in a pond back to the ground. All save for Crows Beak. He had one last thing to do, give Hugo a parting gift.

Crows Beak swung over the stadiums outer railing and prepared to notch an arrow into his black bow. The wind billowed strongly against his feathered cape and hair, but this would do nothing to hinder his aim. Hugo had his back turned to him, like the rest of the other Mad Dogs that were firing every weapon they had at Night Hounds and stabbing at the Logos Cutters that danced at their feet with dangerous knife-like claws.

“Fair well, Hugo. Ke-ke!” Crows Beak sneered. “I’ll be sure to let you know that I was the one that led to your demise. Here, hold onto this arrow for me.”

Crows Beak let lose the arrow and it flew straight and true, right into the back of Hugo’s left shoulder. Immediately Hugo fell to his knees and clutched at the arrowhead sticking out from his chest. Blood dripped in heavy globs onto the sandy field as he staggered to turn and see Crows Beak disappearing over the stadiums edge.

He wanted to scream an insult but instead he coughed heavily, and the foul taste of liquid iron filled his mouth. This was bad, not only was the Twisted unexpectedly attacking them, but now he was wounded. He knew if he fell now, they all would. Then it occurred to him, the Skull were retreating. Crows Beak wouldn’t have settled for merely wounding him and leaving otherwise. The Twisted were not part of the Skulls plan.

Grunting in pain, Hugo stood up straight and yelled, “Retreat through the tear gas and head back to the compound. It is our only hope! Every man for himself!”

…

“Hurry up and set the fuse!” Rodney hissed quietly as he could. He could barely stand these bumbling idiots; Terry and his sixteen former Black Rats were far too loud and numerous for this job.

Rodney had led them all through a secret passage he had discovered in the western wall of the Skull’s base. They had brough with them a dozen of gas cans, all filled to the brim. They were tasked with sneaking into the base while the Undertaker and Martinez fought and distracted the guards. Though getting in wasn’t a problem, Terry and his large crew were not fit for infiltration in this manner.

“Almost done.” Stan whispered back as he carefully dripped the fuse into the last of the gas cans. He scratched nervously at his handlebar mustache and whispered, “Is that monstrous Eye still not moving?”

“Shh! Quit talking.” Terry and Rodney murmured back in unison.

Rodney glared at Terry dangerously, he was supposed to be keeping a watch on Black Fang who was left to guard the inner bone decorated chamber. Terry saw this look and shied back admitting his mistake and turned back to the huge African American man that was standing at the foot of the odd bone hewn throne. The mountain-like man had remained frozen like a statue at his post the entire time they had been planting the gas cans on the topmost level of the mall. However, when Terry looked back Black Fang was gone, vanished without a trace!

“Where did…” Terry muttered but it was too late!

There was a sudden heavy boom of a heavy object hitting the floor amongst the Mad Dog intruders. Looking up, the Mad Dogs let out a collective gasp. Black Fang had miraculously appeared in between all seventeen of them and was now strangling one of the former Black Rats with one massive hand!

“About time you looked away.” The intensely deep voice of Black Fang rumbled. He then cocked his head to one side to look at Terry with a stony expression. “It was getting boring waiting to see what you all were doing up here. Let’s have you lot give me something fun to do.”

“Why you freak!” Rodney shouted and from the back of his pants he pulled out a pistol.

Reacting with frightening speed, Black Fang turned to hold out the strangling Black Rat in between himself and Rodney just as Rodney fired. The bullet blasted into the unfortunate Black Rat, killing him right away.

“What are you doing!? Light the fuse!” Rodney shouted at Stan. “Rest of you, kill him!”

Stan fumbled with the lighter as the remaining fourteen others rushed Black Fang from all sides. Unfazed upon seeing himself surrounded, Black Fang sighed heavily and still using only one hand, tossed the lifeless corpse at Rodney. Rodney jumped aside to get behind a support beam and, in the process, fired another round at Black Fang. Black Fang was already reacting to this anticipated attack and had turned aside with perfect timing to let the bullet pass by. The bullet missed its mark and struck squarely into the Black Rat charging at him from behind in the head!

“Boo! That was no fun.” Black Fang droned. “Fight me man to man.”

Saying this, his long black tattooed arms snatched up the closest of the Black Rats like a python nabbing prey. He then squeezed with terrifying power around the unlucky man’s middle. The man let out a gasp as the air in his lungs was forced out and then the uncomfortable crack of bones followed! His spine was snapped like it was nothing.

Then, still holding the crushed body by a leg, he used it like a bludgeoning weapon and took aim at the next closest of the Black Rats. This man was flattened by the crushed body and knocked to the floor. Dazed, the man could do nothing as Black Fang sent the crushed body back down to beat the man to death with this second swing!

“H-he is a demon!” One of the Black Rats stammered. Then he and three others turned to run away.

“Hey, the fun is this way.” Black Fang called seeing them fleeing.

“Die!” Terry yelled as he went to stab Black Fang in the back with a bowie knife.

The bowie knife struck air. The massive body should have been impossible to miss from such a close range, yet in the blink of an eye, Black Fang avoided him. Hearing a scream, Terry turned to see Black Fang had pounced onto one of the fleeing men and was now standing on the man’s back.

“Your arms are so scrawny.” Black Fang pointed out in a bored tone. “Let me see them.”

Planting a foot, half as wide as the man’s back, squarely between the shoulders, he grabbed the man by both wrists. Then giving a tug and causing a pop, Black Fang dislocated the mans arms and twisted them around out of socket.

“Yep, to small. You should have worked out more.” Black Fang said emotionless at the cruel act he committed.

“I got it lit!” Stan shouted as the bright firelight of the lit fuses strewn around the floor headed for the scattered gas cans.

“Run! We can’t handle him or the fire!” Rodney shouted from far ahead of the others. He had already abandoned them!

“F*** this!” Terry shouted and he and the remaining nine Black Rats ran after Rodney.

They were halfway down the hall when the boom and violent whoosh of the gas catching fire blasted out behind them. Terry stole one look back, he immediately wished he hadn’t. Doubling his running, Terry didn’t look back again. Black Fang was walking calmly though the flames with glowing red eyes and dragging a lifeless body behind him.

“Come back and play some more.” Black Fang shouted at them. He then got into a sprinting stance. “I’ll catch you all in seconds!”