The 122nd
Chapter Seven: Fear
It was still dark. With all the lights they had, it was still inadequate. It gave some visibility but it seemed to only give them but so much to view with. Captain Bryan wanted to explore the cave deeper, but something inside of his conscience told him not to. Bryan decided to play it safe and have the soldiers rest inside the big large room. He didn't know what lay deeper inside but Bryan didn't want to find out.
As the captain began to think about what kind of bat-like forms would be around this cave, he heard something strange. Captain Bryan looked around at the faces of the soldiers to see if they had picked up on the sound as well. Apparently, they had. He listened as it came again. It was a strange sort of noise, deeper inside the cave than the last one. Bryan paused again and listened, but the sound did not come a third time. Bryan stood there pondering the sound.
It didn't take too long before some of the soldiers began to whisper amongst themselves. Private Brandon happened to be the one to come to captain Bryan. "Captain, permission to speak freely?" Bryan acknowledged him with a nod of his head and replied, "Permission granted." Brandon than said, "Did you hear that sound as well, sir?" Bryan responded, "I did. I don't know what it was..." Brandon said, "It was weird... " The silence from Brandon hinted at his fear and seemed to speak volumes for the captain's as well, but he wouldn't allow himself to show that. Suddenly, there was a loud echo of some sort of stomping noise deep inside the cave. The echo sounded quite deep inside, and Bryan didn't know how far inside it was. The soldiers seemed to be getting edgier and Bryan took notice of his own fear escalating and rising. He decided he needed to say something to the soldiers. He took his radio close to his mouth and said to the two squads, "Lets stay sharp. There's something in here besides us. Don't let down our guard."
About three minutes had passed and there was no sound. Everyone in the cave seemed to be looking at the walls and at the three entrances deeper inside the cave. Bryan stared at the entrances debating whether to send a few soldiers in to explore the cause of the sound. He didn't want to send his soldiers to their death, but he didn't want everyone to stay in this room and be sitting ducks to whatever might be inside. Bryan switched his radio to his left hand and with his right hand, he placed it on his waist to feel for the his Colt pistol. It still was there. Bryan felt more secure feeling his weapon than he did holding the radio. Bryan asked corporal Landon, who was just a few feet away from him, "Corporal, time check." The corporal looked at his watch and then back at the captain. He replied "Twenty-two twenty sir." Bryan looked at his watch to double check that time and, indeed, it was precise. There was only forty minutes left before the drop-ship would arrive. All Bryan had to do was to keep everyone in one piece until they arrived.
The seconds seemed to have passed very slowly after that and not another noise was heard. The silence that ensued after the first couple of sounds seemed to be a nervous and on-edge silence from everyone in the room. Bryan did not want to encounter death tonight.
As the captain began to think about what kind of bat-like forms would be around this cave, he heard something strange. Captain Bryan looked around at the faces of the soldiers to see if they had picked up on the sound as well. Apparently, they had. He listened as it came again. It was a strange sort of noise, deeper inside the cave than the last one. Bryan paused again and listened, but the sound did not come a third time. Bryan stood there pondering the sound.
It didn't take too long before some of the soldiers began to whisper amongst themselves. Private Brandon happened to be the one to come to captain Bryan. "Captain, permission to speak freely?" Bryan acknowledged him with a nod of his head and replied, "Permission granted." Brandon than said, "Did you hear that sound as well, sir?" Bryan responded, "I did. I don't know what it was..." Brandon said, "It was weird... " The silence from Brandon hinted at his fear and seemed to speak volumes for the captain's as well, but he wouldn't allow himself to show that. Suddenly, there was a loud echo of some sort of stomping noise deep inside the cave. The echo sounded quite deep inside, and Bryan didn't know how far inside it was. The soldiers seemed to be getting edgier and Bryan took notice of his own fear escalating and rising. He decided he needed to say something to the soldiers. He took his radio close to his mouth and said to the two squads, "Lets stay sharp. There's something in here besides us. Don't let down our guard."
About three minutes had passed and there was no sound. Everyone in the cave seemed to be looking at the walls and at the three entrances deeper inside the cave. Bryan stared at the entrances debating whether to send a few soldiers in to explore the cause of the sound. He didn't want to send his soldiers to their death, but he didn't want everyone to stay in this room and be sitting ducks to whatever might be inside. Bryan switched his radio to his left hand and with his right hand, he placed it on his waist to feel for the his Colt pistol. It still was there. Bryan felt more secure feeling his weapon than he did holding the radio. Bryan asked corporal Landon, who was just a few feet away from him, "Corporal, time check." The corporal looked at his watch and then back at the captain. He replied "Twenty-two twenty sir." Bryan looked at his watch to double check that time and, indeed, it was precise. There was only forty minutes left before the drop-ship would arrive. All Bryan had to do was to keep everyone in one piece until they arrived.
The seconds seemed to have passed very slowly after that and not another noise was heard. The silence that ensued after the first couple of sounds seemed to be a nervous and on-edge silence from everyone in the room. Bryan did not want to encounter death tonight.