seven of the new soldiers -- the three hanging on crawler one and the four from crawler two -- drop off into the stillness. one checks the left front soldier's body while the others, barely visible in the weak light, fan out, keeping low, taking cover in the random junk strewn all around them.
the flare fades and the near darkness returns.
as he creeps cautiously through the gloom, new soldier one stiffens. was that a stifled cry? or not?
new soldiers one and two are approaching the trench when suddenly a flare bursts above them.
still firing, crawler one grinds up to the lip of the trench.
while crawler one keeps todd pinned down, new soldiers move to outflank him.
windborne junk clatters against crawler one's armor plating, debris flies through the bright swaths of the headlights, as the vehicle grinds toward the overturned vat.
protected by a hunk of pipe, todd crouches and watches the crawler, his eyes glittering, his weapon ready. it's clear now that the tables are turned and he is the hunter as we.