20 Growing

Just as they thought, later on that day the corporal came up to John as he was watching a movie with Sam in his new room. 

"The general needs to see you and your squad in the command room now John." 

John looked at him with anger in his face. Sam was holding onto him as tight as she could. He answered back. 

"Alright fine. Have you already told the rest of my men?" 

The corporal looked at him as if he was contemplating what to say next and then answered. 

"Yes I've already told everyone else. I ammmm sorry for disturbing you by the way. I know you're trying to spend time with your girl but I guess this is urgent." 

John grumbled and then looked down at Sam, and began to speak. 

"I'll be back hun." 

She wrapped her arms around his body, holding tightly onto him. 

John wrapped his arm around her, grabbed the sides of her head, looked into her beautiful brown eyes, leaned in and gave her a kiss. As he rolled out of the bed, he turned around and snuck in for another kiss. Finally he managed to get up and out of bed. Walked to the corporal and angrily told him. 

"Well let's go then." 

As they walked down the hallway through a series of other hallways and down flights of stairs, the corporal looked back at John and attempted to apologize to him some more. John having knowledge that it was not his fault reassured him that it was ok.

They get to the conference room. The door was wide open with people all around, moving frantically. The generals and John's squad were already waiting around a touch screen hologram table with what appeared to be mountains projecting from its surface. 

John walked over to them. The general looked at him and began. 

"Thank you for joining us. I do apologize for the early dismissal of your down time, but this is urgent." 

John looked at him blankly asking. "It's ok, so what is this about?" 

The general turned his focus to the screen, and continued.

"We have something that's been impeding progress of any kind here. Every time we send in troops or armor they get slaughtered and destroyed. We've tried aerial but it too had no luck. The creatures for some reason do not want us in here. We need this ground and we need to know why they are holding it." 

Greag looked at him questionably and asked. 

"Why send us in then if no one else can get through? To me it sounds like suicide." 

Everyone's attention was on him. Another general, a white hair older gentleman answered. 

"We've been sending in large troop regimes to do this. We believe it gives us away and with your track records... you guys are the best option we have. You can go in by car and infiltrate. We'll send a scientist for the analysis and will give you the same deal as always. Your new titles are permanent and will guarantee you guys full immunity for any actions done, you will be given any equipment you deem necessary and you guys are ranking officers on the field, under john's rule that is."

They all began to look at each other with agreeance as John asked. 

"Ok we have all agreed. Now what is the plan? I'm not going in there blind." 

As he ended saying that, the hologram started to change to another mountainous area. The first general pointed to this. 

"After several attempts and much reconnaissance we come to believe that this area right here currently has low guard. You can infiltrate here through a small town, enter through the sewage treatment plant and follow the lines directly into the heart of the city that the valley is located on. We have been using sewer systems lately to move supplies around safely so we know they're safe. It's a matter of getting to the correct entrance buildings to move properly." 

John stared at the projections as they changed with each topic that the general brought up. He put his fingers on the touch table and moved the focus to the little town. He stood there and stared at it as if he had an idea. He looked up to the generals and said to them. 

"This looks like it would work but there's one flaw." 

The first general looked at him confused, asking. 

"What's the flaw?" 

John pointed to the town and then scrolled to show the mountain before it, as he pointed around at the image he continued. 

"Right here was where those massive nuclear sized explosions were coming from. This is the only way to the town. Whatever those explosions are they're dangerous. And this is a wide open terrain to the first town. I'll need a team of snipers and battery to keep an eye as we're crossing. Also this is across the country." 

The generals looked at one another and then back to John, nodding in agreeance. The generals dismissed everyone.

They all cleared out of the room, John followed behind Greag and tapped him on his shoulder. 

"Well ol' buddy, looks like we got our work ahead of us." 

While still walking Greag turned his head back with a smile across his face. He stopped in the middle of the hallway and shook John's hand. 

"Into hell once again with u buddy." 

They both turned around and walked down the hall.

They arrived at the corridor with the vehicles, two cars were already loaded up and ready for them to jump in. John walked over to the corporal next to the first car. 

"So everything is in order here, as per the generals, and now you have the prime leader's full approval. You guys are given whatever you were offered in the conference room sir." 

John nodded in approval and then walked over to a room off to the side, a sign that read "armory" was above the door. Soldiers were positioned in front of the sides of the opening. John walked in, and saw that his whole squad was already inside, putting their armor on and getting their weapons ready. John walked over to a table and began to put a Bicep plate on when Sam walked in, with a smile across her beautiful face. Though he could tell that she's been crying. She walked over to him, gave him a kiss and articulated. 

"Be careful out there. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you." 

John looked at her with empathy, hugged her and then whispered to her. 

"I'll be ok. You better be safe. Don't tell anyone, but I think these things will attempt to attack soon." 

Sam pulled onto him, helped him put his bicep plate on and kissed him once again. As she turned around he shouted to her. 

"I'll be back, so hold those tears."

They finished putting they're equipment on and they all exited the room. John walked over and crawled into the driver's seat of the first car. He looked over to see Sam was looking at him with a sadness on her face, he put his helmet on and closed the door. John radioed back to the other car. 

"Alright you guys. We're going hard and fast. This is gonna be a long hull. We'll have to be on guard at all times." 

Sean replied back. 

"Alright sir, I'll make sure greag stays awake hahaha." 

John put the car into drive and gave it a little gas, the vehicle thrust him and Rex back in their seats a little. He pulled up to the door, followed by Greag, Sean and Gary behind them. A man's voice came up on the loudspeaker. 

"Alright you know the drill, Ok go." 

The door swung open very quickly, John pushed his throttle all the way down. Greag followed suit, the exhaust of their cars flooded the area. Speeding off down the road, John began to load the coordinates into his GPS. A map with red lines leading to his destination, appeared up on his HUD on his windshield. He looked at the map and then slightly over to the right of it, it read "2,213 miles." 

Greag radioed over to John, surprise was in his voice. 

"Damn, well I guess we are in for a long long fucking hall. I think we'll need to rest every few hundred miles." 

John radioed back, hoping to make things seem better. 

"I agree, as sunlight goes we do too. We need to keep moving through the daylight and rest at night. We'll find buildings to rest in each night and this time I prefer a basement or something." 

Greag laughed back over the radio, remembering what had happened last time they went out for a long drive, with the explosion. 

As the daylight sunk, they've already covered several hundred miles. John radioed to everyone. 

"Ok I think it's safe to say, let's find a place to crash at for the night. Keep your eyes open for a place that looks safe." 

They slowed down as they were passing through a fairly large and nice city. Making sure to keep their eyes open for a place to lay low for the night.  John spotted a house with a garage attached to it down a side street as he passed by. He radioed to Greag as he slowed down. 

"There's a house down the street with a garage to hide the cars. We'll crash there." 

Greag responded back sarcastically. "Ok boss man. I don't see where you're talking but you can just drive there and I'll follow."

John backtracked and turned down the side street, a green sign read "Washborn St." They drove slowly down the street to the house, pulled up in front of it, inspected the area before proceeding and then pulled up to the garage door. John got out of the car, waved his hand to Greag to signal for him to wait, and moved to open the door. He pulled on the handle to find out that it was locked. He continually pulled up on the door until he heard a creaking noise followed by a popping noise. The door flung open, John had a smile on his face from his accomplishment that could be seen through his helmets visor. John walked back, over to Greags car, waited for Greag to open up his window. The window came down and John said to Greag. 

"Ok I'm pretty sure I broke the latch, but pull in and I'll pull in next to you, and we can crash here for the night. Hopefully this place has beds and stuff." 

Greag looked at him through his visor on his helmet and nodded in approval. His window rolled back up as he pulled forward into the very nice three car garage. John walked back over and jumped into his car. Pulling in up next to them. Greag, already out of his vehicle, closed the door behind them, walked over to John as he was getting out of his car. Greag was standing there with a grin smirk, laughing a bit. Not able to understand what he was laughing over, John asked Greag. 

"What's so funny?"  

"You realize you ripped the whole door jam and everything else off. And it was padlocked from inside hahaha. You broke all of it. I don't know how you did it but you have amazed me in many ways so I don't need to know how." 

Greag replied as he was taking off his helmet halfway through his response.

John shrugged and walked to the man door that appeared to connect the house to the garage. He grabbed the door knob and twisted it to find out it was locked also, with impatience and a little anger, he clamped down on the handle and cranked the knob, a loud popping noise as the knob was twisted out the door. Sean was right behind him as this happened, grabbed the doorknob from John's hands, seeing that he had crushed the metal knob in and busted the assembly from the door. He began to laugh at this feat and reached around John, pushed the door in and walked around John to get through. 

John was still standing at the door as if he was locked up with shock. Greag pat on John's shoulder and uttered. 

"Let's go nap, boss." 

John looked over at him, nodded his head in agreement and then walked in after Greag. They walked in through a tight hallway into what appeared to be a living room. It was well furnished, had beautiful paintings of oceans and dolphins, and a huge flat screen upon the wall, which was still in pristine condition. Everyone spread out, and searched the house, room by room. Finding trinkets and photos of what appeared to be the old owners, a young black couple. John was holding a picture of the couple together, seeing how happy they were. Sean walked over and saw the photo that John was viewing. 

"It's a damn shame what this war has really done. The amount of families that were ripped apart or killed off. Fuck that could have been each and everyone one of us by now, happy." 

John looked up at him and handed the photo over to him, and replied back. 

"Well I guess the damn things will have to pay then." 

John huddled everyone to the center of the living room and began to order. 

"Ok this place checks out and I've seen that there are three rooms. Each with beds and there's a couch and loveseat out here. You guys choose what you want. I'm picking the couch. Get some food and rest. We'll leave early in the morning. Enjoy your nights you guys." 

He walked to the couch and began to take his plates and padding off. Everyone looked at him and dispersed within seconds. John hears Sean and Rex as they argue over the bed in the master bedroom. Greag took on in what looked like a kid's room. 

John laid down on the couch, rested his head on the pillow part of his sleeping bag. His eyes were nodding until they finally closed. His eyes were moving under his eyelids, for he was dreaming. 

CRASH. 

John awoke by the sound of glass breaking from in the kitchen. He quickly stood up, uncovered himself from his sleeping bag and grabbed for his gun. As he walked to the kitchen opening cautiously, he shouted out. 

"Who's there? Announce yourself." 

An anonymous reply came back. 

"Shhh. be quiet, it's me, Rex. I was trying to get something to eat and needed a plate to eat off of." 

He walked out of the kitchen with a plate in one hand and a pouch of food in the other. John lowered his gun and walked into the kitchen with him. Sauntered to the counter and leaned against it, as Rex continued to clean up the glass plate from the ground. Rex looked up to him and whispered, as he was finishing cleaning up and throwing the glass shards into the sink. 

"Hahaha sorry about that. Hopefully I didn't wake everyone else too. I'm just really hungry and couldn't sleep because of it." 

John chuckled up a bit, still with a sleepiness embedded in his voice. 

"It's ok, had a strange nightmare that something was about to barge in while we were all asleep and that the base back home was gonna get attacked. So you helped me get off that." 

Rex grabbed for another plate carefully, threw his pouch of mashed potatoes on it and used a lighter to try to heat it up.

As he was eating, John looked to him and asked. 

"So be honest, do you think we're gonna pull through this? I have my doubts that the human race will even survive. For god's sake, it seems like we're the only ones able to kill any of these things." 

Rex while he was mowing down on his food answered him without even looking. 

"Honestly if it wasn't for you and your abilities I don't think we'd have a chance, but you seem to be our ace in the bag. So I have confidence as long as you're here." 

John hoisted himself up and looked at him perplexed. Rex took notice of this and looked up to see the confusion on John's face and then continued. 

"You may not see it or even know it, but you are gifted with special abilities. Many people back home talk about how you must be an experiment by the government or must be one of those creatures. Me personally, I think you are more than that. I heard about how that Kreole creature listened to you. Maybe you're a leader or something. I don't know. All I can say is thank god you're with us." 

John stood there while still having a confused look, answered back to him. 

"I've noticed it too. I just ignored it and I'm just as confused as the rest of you guys. But thanks for being good friends and sticking with me." 

Rex bobbed his head to him and sniggered a little. RRRR. John and Rex paused to the sound of a door opening from the living room and hearing something breathing. Rex slowly put his food down and reached for his pistol. John put his rifle butt to his shoulder, aiming at the doorway from the kitchen to the living room. Rex softly asked. 

"Who's there?" 

No answer returned, but the sound of breathing seemed to be moving close to them. 

John prepared himself, shouted out. 

"Who the fuck is there. You better announce yourself." 

Still nothing, and in a split second a black foggy looking thing was in the dark doorway, staring at them and not moving. John yelled out. 

"Fuck everyone wake up, we have company." 

The creature was still standing there as if it was startled and had been frozen. 

"John I think it sees you and is afraid." 

Rex said to John. Sean and Greag came stumbling behind the creature with their guns ready. No one was shooting or doing anything, they all just stood there waiting. 

John began to tip his gun down slowly and walked in closer to the creature. At that instant it reacted, making that high pitched noise and charged to him. Rex reacted and shot at it, but it changed its direction for him. Before it could get to close, John grabbed a hold of its arm and threw it through the wall. John then ran to it, before it could recover, grabbed a hold of its head with anger and lifted it off the ground. He began to yell at it with extreme anger in his voice. 

"You touch them and I'll destroy you." 

The trinkets and lamps began to float and shake in the air. The creature looked up at him in fear, grabbed for him but unable to do any damage. John thrusted the creatures head down into the ground, and crushed its skull. A loud crunching and popping sound from its skull exploding, everyone saw the gassy haze vanish from around it. 

Everyone stared at John in astonishment, seeing that he had a greenish blue haze surrounding his entire body. The colors were swirling, blending and rising, like some sort of gas. As he calmed down, the haze dissipated away. John while he was still staring at the dead creature on the ground below him. A black fluid was seeping from what was its head. From behind him Greag was clapping and applauding. 

"Holy fucking shit. I knew it, you have to be one of them somehow."

Sean joined in and started to applaud too. As John took notice to them all applauding him, he began to grow very uncomfortable. 

"Why are you applauding? What do you mean I have to be one of them? I'm nothing like them." 

Greag interrupted him from his rampage with an attempt to comfort him. 

"John it's ok, we still got your back and this secret is between us. You have nothing to worry about. I just think it's cool as shit. You somehow are one of those things. That's pretty cool."

"Everyone go back to bed, get some sleep. I'm gonna scout out the perimeter." 

John suggested to everyone as he put his helmet on and began to walk around the house. Everyone shrugged their shoulders and turned to walk back to their beds as they saw John's green light from his night vision, of his visor on his helmet. John went through and checked every room, every window and every door. 

"It's clear" 

He said to himself as he walked back to the couch. He managed to work his way back into his sleeping bag, laid his head down and fell back asleep.

John was once again awakened by the sounds of metal clanking. He opened his eyes to a semi dark room and saw that it was Rex and Sean putting their armor pads on. John leaned up in attention, with sleepiness still in his eyes. 

"Morning sleeping beauty." 

Sean mocked him as he saw John had finally awakened. Greag walked in from another room, with his pads already on and barged in with an insult. 

"So you finally decided to wake up. You're growing soft old man hahaha." 

John shook his hand out at him, while still awakening, and rubbed his eyes with the other hand. 

John turned his body to the side of the couch, rested back again and in haste, he laid his body up and began to stand. Wobbling slightly as he was still trying to awaken. Finally as he managed to get his blood flowing, he awoke in an instant, turned around and grabbed his belongings. He started to put his clothing and armor on, as Sean continuously mocked him. 

"I think I heard the creaking from those old joints."

Within a few minutes John and his squad were dressed and ready to go. John looked at everyone as they all entered into the living room and began to talk. 

"Well another day. Ok the plan today is get to that mountainous region and hopefully get the information they want." 

Sean suddenly blurted out. 

"Hey weren't we supposed to have some scientist guy come with us?" 

Everyone was eyeing around agreeing with the statement so John replied. 

"You know what? This is true. Maybe we'll meet him there. I completely forgot about that." 

He gestured for everyone to head out with a stiff hand that waved to the door. As they all walked into the garage, they noticed that the garage door was open. Everyone just shrugged this off though and moved to the cars. They loaded inside the cars, started them up, and began to back out one by one with John going first. Once they we're all out of the garage, they put their vehicles in drive and took off. The GPS loaded right back to the coordinates, and read "487 miles from destination" on the HUD of the car. They got through town after town, city after city, and watched as the distance dropped drastically on the GPS as the time went by. 

As they were within only a few miles from the destination, a man's voice came up over the radio. 

"Sergeant. This is Corporal Grant Samos. I'm the commander of the sniper team you requested. We've gone ahead of you and did some reconnaissance of the area up ahead. Right now you guys are headed into a traffic zone. Those rolling fucking things are everywhere, crossing across the terrain. We'll guide you guys in safely and keep them off your trails." 

John answered back. 

"Well I'm mighty thankful. Now just warn us ahead if some are close."

As John finished talking to grant he radioed back to Greag. 

"We got sniper support. Keep on me, they're gonna tell us of any danger." 

Greag replied back. 

"Now that's what I'm talking about. But alright homes, I'll be on your ass like flies on your mom's pussy hahaha." 

John snickered while shaking his head in disappointment. Shortly after Grant emanated back on the radio. 

"Alright sir, looks as if you have one of the things inbound. Try to get it out and we'll unleash on the bastard, show them true firepower. But we need them out of the ground so we can shoot them."  

John replied back. 

"Ok, be ready." 

John's screen and radar lit up suddenly on his car window. He continued to go straight, right on an interception path with the creature. He watched as the red dot on his radar advanced in closer. 

Once the creature was within visual range, John slammed onto his breaks, and slid sideways until he finally came to a stop. 

"What the fuck is going on." 

Rex shouted to John, only for him to reply. 

"Get out and get ready. We have incoming." 

Greags car came in sliding to a stop next to them. John ran out in front of his car, with his gun pointed out to where the creature was coming from and shouted to everyone. 

"Don't ask questions, just get ready."

Within moments of him shouting the ground started shaking, the rumbling grew louder and louder. Finally within about a quarter of a football field away, a roller popped out of the ground, dirt and dust was clouding the air around it. The giant armadillo looking thing, which was covered in metal plates, stared at them while growling. 

In that instant. POP. The sound of several bullets blowing through the creatures head. Blood splattered and oozed from the wounds. Within a second following they hear. BANG BANG BANG BANG. The sounds of rifles as they were going off from a distance. 

"Not bad you guys, it's dead." 

John radioed in excitement to the corporal, only to have a response. 

"Don't thank me yet, get ready you have incoming. It looks like killing that one upset all the creatures around. You have what looks like thirty or more rolling things and three of those black creatures and I think we've spotted a few of the bug things. Oh shit they're close, get ready."

The ground suddenly began to quake rampantly and the sound of high pitched squeals flooded the airwaves. 

"Oh shit, this ain't good. Looks they're coming from over that way." 

Rex yelled out to everyone. As they saw dust rising from the direction that he was pointing. They all prepared themselves for what looked as if to be a bad situation coming their way. 

The creatures were only yards away, as the Rollers popped out of the ground. All of them veered over to John and his squad. The Kreoles stood behind and off to the left and they saw several of the bug things approaching in hordes. John called out the order. 

"Open fire. Let's kill these mother fuckers." 

Gunfire blasted downward. Tracer rounds whizzed through the air. The creatures began to charge in, and one dropped after another as they got in closer and closer. The bodies were piling up of all the creatures. They all noticed some of the rollers drop from impacts from behind their skulls from the snipers at the distance. 

John noticed that the Kreoles were standing back as if they were waiting. He shouted out to everyone. 

"Everyone watch out. The Kreoles are planning."  

As the hordes thinned out, the Kreoles hastily charged in after them. Somehow dodging the gunfire thrown at them. One swooped through and grabbed a hold of Gary, and before anyone could react, it smashed him into the side of a car. Putting a dent on the roof of the vehicle and cracked Gary's plates on his armor. Sean shouted out to John. 

"John we need you to take care of these things. They got Gary and bullets aren't doing anything." 

Just as he had finished saying that, another Kreole appeared in and threw Sean several feet across the ground. 

John enraged threw his gun down, grabbed his machete and bolted to the Kreole that was next to Gary and thrust his blade into it. He felt the blade sink deep through its body. He pulled the blade back out, tossed it up into the air and finished the creature off by thrusting his blade downwards through its skull. The gas had quickly disappeared from around it. He turned to the Kreole next to Sean and jumped to it. Grabbed a hold of its arm and threw it sideways to the ground, and then thrusted his boot to its ribs, he felt his boot sink in as it crushed its chest. Everyone heard the sound of something hard being crushed and air escaping. Rex looked to John and shouted, as he saw the greenish blue haze was surrounding him, and what looked like lightning striking all around his body. 

"Oh shit. John the other Kreole is coming your." 

Before he could finish warning him, the Kreole came in and punched John. Rex reactively started shooting at the creature. 

Suddenly the sky started to darken as the creature had moved to Rex. John stood off to the side and was already recovered, the greenish blue haze was engulfing his entire body like an aura glowing, and lightning was striking all around him. John in a split second disappeared from where he was and then reappeared in front of the creature. Its black haze was being sucked into his aura. John grabbed the creature by the neck, lifted it up off the ground and spoke to it. 

"I've warned you. Now it's my turn." 

He then thrusted it into the ground hard. 

BOOM. 

The ground was shaking, and dust and debris filled the air. Through the smoke, Rex saw a blue glow that disappeared in a second. 

As the dust and smoke cleared up, Rex stood there staring at John. He saw a haze that was pulsing from his body, his left hand was glowing and shooting sparks several feet from it. The Kreoles body that was on the ground was nearly disintegrated. John turned to Rex and then looked at Sean and Gary. He vanished into thin air and then reappeared next to Sean. Bent over and checked his pulse, taking off his helmet while doing so. John's frown turned upside down and he began to smack Sean several times until finally he gasped for air. 

"Hahaha you're ok buddy. You're safe and the things are gone." 

Sean leaned up looking at John, and quickly noticed the haze that was surrounding them and saw that John's eyes were glowing green. Sean said to him in shock. 

"What the h." 

Just before he finished John disappeared from before him. Sean was looking around in amazement and confusion, and then saw that John was over next to Gary, who had appeared to be dead. John was checking Gary's pulse on his neck. Sean saw that John was shaking his head in disappointment. 

"Gary's dead you guys." John bellowed back to everyone. Greag walked over to John and rested his hand on John's shoulder. 

"It's ok buddy. No one could've done a better job at saving the rest of the team, I'm sorry."