4 Battle Ensues
Meanwhile in Boracay.
The Maharlikan President had ordered the evacuation of all civilians from the place. But what surprised the locals was that more than four hundred military in full battle gear, armed with automatic M4 rifles, and six Simba combat vehicles were mobilized into the White Beach and quickly positioned facing the coast.
The M4 rifle "is extensively used by the United States Armed Forces and is largely replacing the M16 rifle as the primary infantry weapon and service rifle".*
President Sandrigo recently purchased twenty thousand M4 rifles for his especially trained soldiers. He still had an additional order of forty thousand units that were coming. This was part of the President's modernization program of the country's armed forces.
Soldiers and police escorted the civilians inside a mall and some hotels located in the more elevated areas. They were gathered in places inside the buildings where they can't see the shoreline.
They were told that another tsunami will arrive any moment from now. Moreover, the media were forced to join the civilians.
-
"We also suspect that the fifteen meters creature found in Seram Island, Indonesia on May 9, 20XX was one of those creatures – an older one – although, Indonesian scientists said that it was probably a baleen whale. We've already instructed the Indonesian ambassador to request for a specimen sample of the creature."
As you all would agree, this is not a little matter. If we only comprehend the situation fully, our national security is being threatened here!" Atty. Conrie ended her briefing.
"It was for this reason that the President made it a priority the modernization of the Maharlikan army, hired more military and police personnel, and purchased advanced equipment including thirty-three brand-new attack helicopters and seventen jet fighters," says the PSG Commander.
There was a moment of silence.
"I've just added five Cobra helicopters on top of the four given by Jordan during my recent visit to Israel," the President smugly reported.
"But what if there are many of these monsters out there? Will our artillery be able to handle the threat?" the Navy Chief asked in a warning temper.
"Shouldn't we better ask the help of the U.S., or Israel, or China about this?" the Defense Secretary added.
"No!" the President cut short the speculations.
"Remember that I've just approved last November the $15.6 billion worth five-year plan to modernize the military. Just be patient; the new acquisitions will soon come and three submarines are included.
We can't allow other countries know about this. Otherwise, they will inquire as to the reason why we're being targeted."
The President stutter after recalling that he ought not to speak the last words he just said. He quickly added,
"All of these must remain highly classified... I mean, they must not know about the girl that we saw there. She is as important an asset as the enemies are dreadful.
We will proceed as usual. Only one thing will change – we'll speed up the Phase 2 of the AFM modernization program."
Olen and Patintina (Tina's full name) knew something big was about to happen. Olen told Tina that he saw weird creatures within the tsunami and that he's sure about what he saw.
The two, thus, concealed themselves in the right side of the White Beach. The soldiers were now in the White Beach. Olen and Tina's location was around two hundred fifty meters away from the soldier closest to them.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, the dreaded tsunami made its appearance. But it was quickly detected to be small compared to the first – about nine meters high. However, their apprehension was confirmed, the obnoxious beasts are back.
The military were given red code. "This is not a drill!" it was heard repeatedly.
Upon the signal of the commanding officer, the battalion and the Simba vehicles moved closer to the shore since the tsunami was smaller. The soldiers positioned themselves right after the restaurants and cottages.
Alas, the tsunami touched down the shore. The water reached a little over the location of the soldiers. The soldiers are keenly watching the water. Their rifles were aimed wherever their eyes are!
As the water subsided, the unheard of creatures began to appear. They all appeared near the shoreline.
Their body and head were lowered in a crawling position. Their eye were moving and alert, scanning the perimeter and, like a hunting predator, ready to spring forward to devour its prey.
The creatures were human like in form with a slim body, slightly elongated head and jaw, long and sharp claws, and an almost two-meter long tail. Their scaleless skin was dark, shiny, and looked thick and tough.
There was also a hole at the lower back of their necks. It looked like a hole in a whale's back.
They only have four fingers in both hands and feet, an indication that they were designed for nothing but to kill. They were more or less six feet tall if they stand erect.
The soldiers were awestruck. They can't believe what they were seeing right before their very eyes! It's their first time to saw such abominable creatures and they were uglier and fearsome than they thought. There were about a hundred of them!
The soldiers tightened their grip on their rifles as they tried to overcome their fear. Their line of defense was a little more than a hundred meters from the closest creature.
When the commander used a telescope to get a closer look at the creatures, he was shocked to see that the creatures' teeth were very much the same with humans.
They are neither sharp nor pointed but flat and blunt, though, much thicker than those of humans.
"These bastards!" said the commander.
"Judging from their teeth, they're not here to eat us. But judging from their claws, if they don't have any other reason to be here, then all they want is to kill us," he added.
One police, named PO1 Jope Tria, read a passage from his Bible. He closed it and put it in the pocket in his chest. Then he murmured a prayer. His two batch mates beside him chuckled when they heard him pray.
"You have weak faith brothers," said PO1 Jope.
"You're wrong, Bro. Jope. As a matter of fact, our faith is strong – faith in these rifles!" the two laughed again.
The commanding officer raised his right hand and made a gesture to his men to keep focus, reassuring them in order to regain their courage.
He changed his hand's signal and four men slowly approached to observe the behavior of the creatures.
The Boracs were still stationary and were only observing – an indication that whatever their original plan was, it cannot be pursued right now and that they have to assess yet the situation.
As the four have advanced twenty meters, they ducked and stopped and aimed their rifles. The officer signaled again and three men from the right and three from the left followed quickly but silently fifteen meters forward, ducked and stopped.
After a brief pause, the first four soldiers moved forward twenty meters more and took cover on the palm trees. The six on both their sides stood up and followed.
But before they can reach the palm trees, one of the four soldiers who were ahead of them raised his right hand and gestured "stop" after seeing that some of the creatures started to raise their body slightly from the sand as if wanting to retaliate from the provocation.
The six lowered down, aimed their rifles, and waited; but as soon as the creatures smell human flesh, they roared and surged towards the four! The four ran for their lives and the six soldiers on their sides unleashed the wrath of their M4 rifles on the creatures.
"FIRE AT WILL, FIRE AT WILL!" The commanding officer shouted.
The four soldiers were pursued. As soon as they were level with the six, the latter also stood up quick and ran except one who kept firing. After several seconds, he pulled back by slowly walking backwards while firing. Hence, he was left behind.
Muzzles flashed and ammunition rained as the rest of the troops covered them. But the creatures were elusive and the soldiers found it difficult to aim.
The creatures were swiftly moving around the wide beachfront in an irregular zigzag and forward-backward directions. Those who were hit were still moving fast even after taking several M4 bullets. But the raining bullets made them hesitate to charge directly forward.
The Boracs appear confounded. And they were effectively slowed down by the heavy machine guns mounted on the Simba vehicles. But it was clear to the soldiers now that their bodies or skin were really tough. They can't easily be killed by their bullets.
Depending on where it was hit, it needed ten to fifteen bullets in order to completely kill a Borac. And the over ninety Boracs might empty all their ammunitions!
Fear and being preoccupied in firing rendered the soldier, who was delayed, to unable to turn around and run. The best that he can do was walk in a backward manner. At least he still managed to move his legs.
"GATHER CLOSER!" the officer was quick to read the situation and yelled three times to his men. This he did so that the creatures will also gather closer and aiming would become less difficult.
The strategy was effective since more of their bullets landed on the creatures. However, it too has its own disadvantage for it enabled the creatures at the rear to come nearer to the military's line of defense since those in the front served as shields.
This, eventually, led one creature to close in on the soldier who was behind in the running. The soldier tried his best to turn around so that he can run, but unluckily he tumbled and fell to the sand. This delayed him more.
He managed to turn around while getting up. But just as when he had started running, the furious beast gathered all its strength on its legs and jumped towards him. Its feet's claws landed on the back of the unfortunate soldier, killing him instantly.
But the creature's target was someone else as it only bounced from its first victim towards another. While airborne, it stretched its body and extended its strong arms. Its claws from both hands were aimed impeccably at the commanding officer!
____
*Source: Wikipedia.
