The Colony Read Free Page A

men outside those doors and I've got no intention of leaving them. So you're either going to wait here and answer my questions general, or we're all going to take a trip back out into the rain to look for them.”
    “ You can drop the general son, I'm not enlisted anymore. And I've got people too, hidden in the floor at the rear of this building and scared shitless. Most of them women and children. While I understand and respect the concern for your people, you'd be wise to give me the same. Otherwise, we're going to have a problem.” The general said bluntly.
    “ Children?” Jack asked.
    “ Please,” the general said, pausing as if to ask for compassion. “This way.”
    “ You two stay on this door. Anything comes in not wearing our uniform,” Jack said, turning to look at both of his men. “You know what to do.”
    “ You got it boss.” Renaldo said, reinforcing his statement by a bolt-action slide of ammunition to the ready.
     
    Though a single building, it was indeed large. Meant as the central part of the colony, a government building, which doubled as a fallout shelter. No windows, and a single entrance.
    “ I need to know why most of the colonists are dead. And I need you to carefully think through your words before answering, as I'm forced by Earth Defense code to report your answer directly back to my superiors.” Jack said.
    “ Your superiors are of no concern to me,” the general replied with hesitation. “The real judge, jury and executioners are beyond that door.”
    “ Who?” Jack asked, stopping the general for a moment with the strong grip of his hand.
    Offering no reply, the general instead broke free of the grasp, lowering himself enough to begin lifting a large grating of steel. A portion of the floor, exposing ten survivors.
    “Dear God.” Jack said, his emotions staggered as he caught sight of nine children, none over the age of seven. Each of them sitting in the small hole with a civilian woman.
    “ This is all that remains lieutenant,” the general said, turning as he stood up once more. And the answer to your question is demons.”
    “ Demons?” he asked with a puzzled voice.
    Before a reply could follow, however, gunshots began to crack loudly in the background.
    “Report!” Jack yelled, turning to hustle back to the entrance.
    “ Earth Defense weaponry, but not ours. Bronson's group maybe?” Renaldo said.
    “ Open it!” Jack demanded.
    “ Lieutenant, wait,” the general pleaded, doing his best to catch up to the soldier in wait. “If the demons are outside, opening the door will seal all of our fates.”
    Taking a moment to consider the pleas of a retired general, Jack began to think of his men in the rain. Gunshots firing wildly outside of the thick plating of the door.
    “Open it.” he finally ordered, grabbing a small shotgun from his back and readying it with a single hand which held the weapon by the fore-end.
    And with Renaldo laying prone, his scope to the door and rifle at the ready, Wesley slowly began to pull the door open.
    Startling them all, Bronson nearly dove in, his body covered in a grimy mixture of blood and rain-drenched soil.
    Twiggy staggered in as well, beginning to shut the door on his own. Or at least offer an attempt.
    “Shut the door,” Bronson yelled, moving in to help his shell-shocked friend. “Shut the fucking door!”
    “ Wait, Avery.” Jack said, starting to intervene.
    “ He's fucking gone...in pieces!” Bronson yelled, never slighting on his attempt to seal the entrance. “Now somebody help me get this door shut!” he added, trembling hands working hard against the steel locking mechanism.
    With the immediate help of both the general and Lieutenant Jack Strong, steel connected once more, forcing the horrors of the damning rain to remain outside.
    “Oh fuck.” Twiggy commented, sliding down to a sitting position.
    “ Someone is going to start telling me what the fuck is going on!” Jack said, pulling his shotgun back to