WELCOME TO HELL
Petr Heteša &
Karel Veverka
The door of the truck opened and the driver carefully jumped out down to the
ground.He had a tommy gun with hundred and twenty cartridges in one hand.He
looked around.Not a single leaf moved.Everything was deadly motionless just
like at the gothic ictures,only bubbles of grey foam were soundlessly floating
on river’s surface.The man went to look at the obstruction.
I nodded my head at Jolly.I leaned the fast
shooting shotgun (the latest pride of Remington firm with optico-electronical
dial-sight)on a rock and aimed.I located the man’s left breast pocket to the
middle of my dial-sight. Somewhere at that place should be his heart.Jolly raised
his hands to his mouth and yelled:
“Throw your tommy gun away and be calm…”
Rocks around us resounded with Jolly’s voice
and the echo repeated his order four more times.The man turned around at once
and with a frightened expression was looking around.He could see nothing.Well,he
just could not.We were hidden in the rocks so he did not have a slightest chance.He
carefully started to move back to his truck while cautiously searching the surroundings.
“Stop and throw your gun away,or else you
are going to get one…”Jolly repeated the order.
I sure loved this kind of adventurers.They
think they are bullet-proof and they do these stupid useless things.Well,I could
not kill him anyway. We needed him alive because the truck was surely locked
by some protecting codes and unless this fool decodes it,there is no hope for
us. We might be able to get inside the truck but it would cost us half the load
and that was unacceptable for us.
“What do you want?”said the man and started
shuffling slowly back to the cabin.I aimed about five meters ahead of the truck
and pressed the trigger.The shot was deafening and the rocks resounded again.Dirt
and rocks in front of the truck exploded.Crevices were flying all around which
reminded of the grenade explosion.These projectiles with shattering bullets
could make a hole in a fifty centimetres wall.
The man threw his tommy gun down.Jolly tossed
his shot gun over his shoulder and started descending to the truck.I was still
aiming at the driver.I could see in the detail of my dial-sight his terrified
expression when Jolly got down and he noticed the white of his eyes being redishly
discolored which made his eyes look as deep gaps and bottomless dead openings.The
man started stepping back.
“Leave…,leave me alone…,take everything,but
leave me alone… Please,don’t touch me,please…”
Jolly stopped. “Now you get in the car and
unlock the old banger.Open the truck and unlock the blocking system.You will,of
course leave the door open.I will be aiming at your head.If you try anything
stupid,I shoot.I know quite a bit about these cars so I will be watching everything
you do.Do not try anything.Just get it unlocked.”
The guy started slowly to his car.Jolly
followed.He was holding his gun in both hands and aiming at his head.
“And…one more thing…If you by a chance manage
to shut your door, there is no chance for you.Your truck is standing on the
ten kilo load of blasting agent remote-controlled by my friend who is up over
there in those rocks.”
The guy nodded that it is clear to him and
started climbing the steps to his cabin.He disappeared behind the front windshield.I
aimed at the glass,there,where he would be sitting just now.For the gun I had
the armour-plated windshield should be a piece of cake.Jolly got on the steps
and was still aiming at the man’s head.I told Henry to light me a cigarette.
I was watching Jolly on the truck’s steps with one eye and the front windshield
of the truck’s cabin with the other through the dial sight of my gun.Henry gave
me the cigarette.
“Damn it….,what’s taking him so long.What
the hell is he doing there?”
Finally Jolly started descending the steps.He
stopped about five meters from the car.The driver got out after him.He was pale
and his hands were shaking.I signalled at my eople to get down to the truck.We
were eight altogether and we were equipped well enough for operative diversion
platoon.Roger and Paul folded the machine gun and brought it down.The driver
was looking at the deep red holes where our eyes were supposed to be with more
than just a scared look.He knew very well one touch was enough for him to get
infected by Corps’s disease and become one of us – corpsies.He realized we were
capable of anything.I opened the back door of the container and looked inside.
Togs.Just togs.Everything from night-gowns to
luxurious arty tuxedoes.That was a great catch.
“Where are you from?”I jerked at the driver.He
could hardly speak how afraid he was.
“From Campell’s fortress.”
“What else except these togs do you do?”
“Shoes.”
“Is that it?”..........