SNAFU: Hunters

“Guys,” Donaldson said. “What the fuck is that?” He motioned with his M1 towards the butchered green monster. The pieces were vibrating. Minced remains of the creature, shreds of flesh and innards, oozed together, coalesced.

“Jesus,” Leon said. “Is it still alive?”

“Is it… Is it putting itself together?” Donaldson said, staring in disbelief.

The creature slowly took form. It was a skeleton of goo first, oozing up from the ground, joined by pieces of green carcass.

Hiro shouted something and pointed to the bag in Nathan’s hands.

“Now’s not the fucking time,” Leon shouted.

Hiro shouted back, insistent, pointing alternately to the bag and the monster.

“Maybe he knows how to stop it,” Donaldson said.

Nathan opened the bag to Hiro, who reached in and rifled through the contents. He pulled out an ornate knife with engraved symbols along the blade.

Hiro made his way to the reanimating creature, took aim at the head, and thrust the knife. It entered the skull with a sickly crunch, and what remained of the creature turned instantly to dirt.

Hiro pulled the knife from a roughly head shaped mound of earth. “Iron,” he said, with a thick Vietnamese accent. “Iron kills demon.”

“Jesus Christ,” Leon said.

“That thing,” Donaldson started, “that thing really is a demon.”

“Holy Christ, a fucking demon.”

“Ngu’Tinh,” Hiro said. “Yeow kwai.”

The men looked to the Professor: eyes open, unblinking, silent.

“Goddamn.”

“So this fucker knew along how to kill it,” Leon said. He took a few aggressive paces towards Hiro. “Anything else you didn’t tell us?”

Hiro put up his hands, stepped back, said something calmly.

“No use,” Nathan said. “Can’t understand each other anyway. Not without Bao.”

“So now what?” Leon said.

“We get back.” Nathan nodded decisively “Before any more of those things show up.”

“How many you think are out there?” Leon said, peering into the trees.

“We saw two in the river. One in the trees,” Nathan said. “So at least three.”

“We should ask him,” Donaldson said, pointing to Hiro. “He knows some English.”

“You’re right.” Nathan turned to Hiro, and began to pantomime. “One.” He pointed to the mound of dirt that used to be the demon. “Two, three…” He pointed backwards, from where the others had come then held up three fingers. “How many?” Nathan shrugged his shoulders, turned up his palms.

Hiro looked Nathan in the eyes, nodded. “Two more yeow kwai.”

“You think he understood?” Donaldson asked.

“I don’t know,” Nathan said. “Let’s go,” he ordered. “Column formation. Deacon’s on point. Leon, you’re on rear. Keep your eye on Hiro. Donaldson, just get in line and keep your eyes open.”

In formation they marched deeper into the forest. Hiro requested a hit during the march and Nathan obliged. This time Hiro opted for injecting it then held up the needle to Nathan.

“No thanks,” Nathan said, and they continued walking.

Leon stopped. “You sure you’re takin’ us the right way?”

“Yeah,” Deacon said.

“Then why do I hear water?” Leon said.

They all stopped to listen.

“Shit,” Nathan said. “Are we back at the river?”

“Did you fuck up the navigation?” Leon shouted.

“No, this makes sense,” Deacon said. “The river bends back around on the return. We just intercepted it.”

“I don’t think that’s right,” Nathan said.

“I don’t know…” Deacon rummaged through his pocket with his free hand. “But since we’re here anyway…” He pulled a hand-held piece of electronic equipment free and retracted its antennae. A black screen in the middle of the device blinked intermittently with a red dot.

“The hell is that?” Donaldson asked.

“The tracker,” Deacon said. “He’s near.”

“Who’s near?”

“Billy.”

“Who?”

“His fuckin’ dolphin,” Leon said.

“Wait a minute,” Donaldson glared. “Wait just a goddamn minute. You didn’t drag us back here so you could look for your dolphin, did you?”

“Relax, we’re just a few degrees off course.”

“Mother fucker.”

“It’ll only take a minute,” Deacon said while orienting himself, sweeping the device left and right. “This way.”

“No way,” Donaldson said. “We aren’t goin’ back to the river now.”

“You don’t call the shots.” Deacon started towards the river.

“I agree with the jarhead,” Leon said. “We can’t fight those things in the water.”

“They’re right,” Nathan said to Deacon. “It’s too risky.”

“You said it yourself, Nathan. Rob and Billy are part of the team. And they need us.” Deacon pointed to the tracking device. “He’s close.”

“How close?” Nathan asked.

“Less than a klick.”

Nathan ran scenarios through his head; it was risky, but Deacon had a point. “All right. Let’s go.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Donaldson said.

“You don’t get an opinion,” Nathan snapped. “You practically begged to come with us. We’re doing you a favour, remember? For your brother? Now let’s move.”

They reoriented and headed back for the river.

“This is a bad idea,” Leon said.

Part of Nathan agreed, but he kept it to himself.

Deacon reached the river first. Nathan joined him, signalled all clear, and the others lined up along the bank.

“So where we looking?” Nathan asked.

“There.” Deacon motioned with his head. “About fifty meters.”