Rise Once More Read Online Free PDF Page A

screaming down the shaft.
    Jerry is silent, looking down at his hands in disbelief. He still has an iron grip on Stan's combat boots. Roger returns to the air shaft with a flashlight and looks around at the shocked faces of his men. Roger is unaware of the events that unfolded minutes before and demands explanations.
    “ Where is Stan? Did he fall? Why are you maggots just standing there? Answer me!” Roger yells.
    “ Something got him, Sir!” Frank says.
    “ What do you mean got him?” Roger asks.
    “ Something grabbed Stan... Jerry tried to pull him out...it was stronger than him... His boots came off...the hole opened up... Then Stan went down the hole....” Franks says. Roger was about to come unglued, until he saw the boots still gripped in Jerry's hands. Roger rushes to the opening of the shaft, which is now the size of a compact car and yells out to Stan.
    “ Stan! Are you OK?” Roger yells. His voice returns nothing but echoes from the dark shaft. Roger feels uneasiness in his stomach and knows that something has gone horribly wrong. Roger reaches for his flashlight, presses the button and shines the beam down the corridor. Light bounces off the quartz crystals lining the shaft walls, each a tiny star in its own right. Roger turns to face his men, placing the flashlight at his side and walks away from the shaft.
    “ Boys, you know what we have to do. This has become a rescue mission. We got one of our own down there and to hell with our original assignment. Stan comes home... or none of us do!” Roger says.
    The men rush over to the tool crate, each selecting the items they feel will help them best to rescue Stan. Coils of rope, flashlights, and anchor points are all placed around  the shaft. Jerry takes several foot-long glow sticks in his hands, snapping each one to activate the phosphorescent chemicals inside. He then throws each one into the shaft. He varies the distance of each one to produce sufficient light for the descent. Once the final stick is in place Jerry scans the tunnel for any signs of their fallen soldier, but the greenish light is obscured, by a black shadow advancing towards the entrance.
    “Somethings moving down there...” Jerry says.
    “ Stan is that you?” Roger yells.
    “ I don't think its Stan... He would have answered your call.” Frank says.
    “ Do you think it's Agent Haus?” Jerry asks.
    “ I doubt that... Even if he suffered shell shock, he would be rushing towards the light of day and screaming for help. Who-ever it is, has some questions to answer. And, if I don't like the answer... I have the solution to the problem right here.” Roger draws his side arm and loads a round into the chamber. “Weapons hot! Let the lead do the talking!” Roger says.
    Roger aims the handgun towards the dark entrance and slowly retreats back several yards. His finger never leaves the trigger, constantly scanning the shadows for a possible threat. His men stand ready, each flanking his sides, with guns at the ready and willing to fire at a moments notice. Roger can hear the rocks tumbling down the shaft and knows his target is getting close to exiting the shaft.
    It begins with a single bloody hand reaching out from the darkness, followed by an entire body entering into the light of day and it doesn't slow down from there. Their bodies are pale, mottled with purple splotches and yellowing skin. The air is tainted with the smell of death, feces, and rancid urine. Their clothing, mostly battle fatigues are torn, or stained with some bodily fluid, more often than not blood.
    The first one to attack is the crawler. Both legs are obviously broken but that doesn't slow him down. The crawler lunges towards Roger's boot, clawing and biting at anything that moves. Roger doesn't miss a beat, sidesteps his attacker and fires a round into his skull. The next attacker advances forward and Roger fires three fast rounds into his abdomen. Pieces of rotting flesh fly into the air. Yet, the attacker