Anomaly
Iurii Haidai
Have you ever been alone in the woods at night, when the crack of a branch sounds like a gunshot, and a stranger can be seen behind every tree? At such moments, the primal instinct for self-preservation is awakened. Imagine if you know for sure that somewhere in the vicinity there is an anomalous zone. Where it came from and what is its danger is unknown. But maybe such mysterious phenomena explain unpredictable behaviour – sudden anger and self-sacrifice, heroism and cowardice?
Anomaly
Iurii Haidai
Editor Andrei Dmytrevsky
Proofreader Maria Yakovleva
Cover designer Sergey Haidai
© Iurii Haidai, 2022
© Sergey Haidai, cover design, 2022
ISBNВ 978-5-0056-4673-6
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Hunting
The lad took aВ deep breath and exhaled.
At that moment a load of buckshot hit the backside of the thick tree he was sheltering behind. The bark shattered in different directions. Arthur Travis (that was the lad’s name) shuddered and shrank back. He stood like that for several long seconds. There was no second shot. He straightened to his full height again, still with his back to the saving trunk.
– I’ll get you, you bastard! – came a shout from a house in the clearing at a distance from where the shooting was taking place. – I’ll fucking get you!
Travis squeezed his eyes shut, equalized his breathing, and moved swiftly into the woods.
Keeping his eyes on the tree, Sergeant David Hall, standing by the kitchen window of the house, continued to wait, clutching tightly the shotgun he had just fired from. When the target appeared for a moment from behind cover, Hall muttered grudgingly: «Gone!» – He turned and left the kitchen. Walking down the corridor, he opened the storeroom where the weapons were kept. Hall took the gun and handed it to his subordinate Corporal Miller, who had come running in at the noise from his room.
– Here, Henry,“ Hall said. – „We’re going after him.
– But, sir, what about the security of the facility? – Miller asked perplexedly. – «We have orders…
– Didn’t you see the corpse in the kitchen?! – The sergeant objected. – What the hell kind of facility, Henry? Wake up, there’s a murderer lurking out there who might come back for us. We must avenge our comrade’s death, lest it be in vain. Before the bastard gets too far away, there’s a chance to catch him. I know where he went and how he got here! Either he had no choice and had to get out of the way, or he went where he was safe. While we’re talking, he’s getting away.
Corporal Miller stood in indecision. Hall held out his pistol to him with the words, «That’s an order.» Henry silently tucked it behind his belt. Hall also took two automatic rifles from the storeroom. One he gave to the corporal, the other hung on his shoulder. He kept the shotgun as well. Walking past the kitchen, the sergeant took another look at the breathless body. He went up to the first floor and pulled a sheet off the bed. Miller helped wrap the deceased in it and carried the corpse into the living room.
The blood ofВ the deceased was almost cold, but it, like the remains ofВ the brains, could be easily washed off. But the military did not do so: there was no time. All around they could see the signs ofВ aВ struggle. The assassin must have been injured inВ the fight. He limped on one leg as he fled.
The two soldiers left the scene and went into the forest toВ look for the fugitive.
When they descended aВ small slope into the bushes, Travis decided toВ take his first break, stopped and sat down on the ground. His whole body ached terribly, his strength was leaving him quickly and there was no time toВ recover. The boy groaned and was ready toВ burst into tears inВ despair, but he pulled himself together. He could not give inВ toВ despair; he did not know whether the sergeant and corporal were after him. He had toВ get as far into the woods as he could until he was sure ofВ his safety.
Travis, ducking as low as he could, reserved his strength and walked forward slowly, taking care not toВ strain his injured leg. He was poorly oriented inВ this unfamiliar forest. He could turn aside toВ throw off the trail ofВ possible pursuers, but then he risked toВ get lost for aВ long time.
What next? There was no turning back: the house he had fled from would undoubtedly be prepared for his return.
Exhausted, he saw aВ small hole inВ front ofВ one ofВ the trees. He broke off some branches, lay down inВ the hole, covered himself with them and leaned his back against the trunk so that he could see what was going on. He was fortunate that his clothes were ofВ aВ protective colour. He might not have been perfectly camouflaged, but he stood aВ good chance ofВ going unnoticed.
Travis closed his eyes, tired from the constant strain. When he tried toВ open them, he found that they had become unbelievably heavy. He tried toВ lift them with his fingers, but his hand would not move either.
After aВ few seconds Arthur fell into aВ deep sleep.
He was awakened by the crackling of dry twigs. The footsteps of his pursuers could be heard behind him, very close by. With eyes dilated with fear, Travis tried to see if there was anything that would help him – a sturdy stick or other cover nearby. But there was nothing in sight.
Losing his guard and allowing himself toВ fall asleep, the fugitive found himself inВ aВ quandary. He feverishly considered ways out ofВ it and decided that the only chance ofВ overpowering the two armed men, who had received special training, was aВ surprise attack. Catch them byВ surprise, winning aВ few seconds which can later decide everything! It is not said for nothing: the best defence is aВ good offence.
But that thought had toВ be discarded.
As soon as he moved his hands they were instantly pierced with pain which spread over his entire body. Every injury he’d sustained in a recent fight was reminded of itself by a dull throbbing ache. He couldn’t step into a new one now: he couldn’t even stand up on his feet. He needs at least some time to recover. But unfortunately there was none left.
Every time he moved his arms, they were instantly pierced by an intense pain that pulsed through his body. Every injury he had sustained in a recent fight was a dull throbbing. He couldn’t step into a new one now: he couldn’t even stand up on his feet. He needs at least some time to recover. But unfortunately there was none left.
Sergeant Hall and Corporal Miller moved cautiously through the forest. Peering around, they kept their weapons ready. The search for the killer had not yet yielded any results.
At first they followed his footsteps, noting drops ofВ blood on the ground, broken branches ofВ bushes or trampled grass. But soon the tracks were lost. Now the fugitive could be anywhere. It was difficult toВ hide inВ this forest inВ plain sight, but as soon as one got further out one could easily disappear into the thicket.
– What shall we do now, Sergeant? – Miller asked in a whisper.
– The bloody bastard had got away. Maybe he lured us here on purpose, but he’s got his bearings.
The sergeant thought for aВ moment and ordered:
– Split up.
– Are you sure? – The corporal interrogated.
– I am sure. He may be setting a trap for us, but we have an advantage,» Hall pointed to the shotgun in his hands. – He’s wounded, it’ll play into our hands. If you don’t spot him in twenty or thirty minutes, get back to the point.
– Yes, sir.
Hall went to the right, Miller to the left, walking two metres from Travis covered in branches. The lad stared into the back of the slow-moving corporal and prayed to himself that Miller would get as far away as possible and never look back. For what reason the military didn’t see him, Travis wasn’t interested. He knew that he was lucky, and that was all that mattered. And besides, he saw a branch lying on the ground not far away, of a decent thickness.
The sun was setting slowly. The forest, already gloomy, had grown even darker.
Corporal Miller, looking around, began toВ catch himself thinking that they had missed the fugitive after all, and that inВ the coming darkness they would be unlikely toВ locate him. He did not know how much time had passed. Miller had no desire toВ go further into the woods toВ stumble upon the wanted man. InВ order not toВ expose himself toВ unnecessary danger, he decided toВ walk back and turned around.
