The cell phone fell from Guy’s grasp and shattered at his feet. Frank caught him just as he was about to fall.
“Guy, what is it?”
“Alice and Kyle. They’re in danger. Something is attacking them.”
Frank didn’t speak.
Guy wrung his hands together and started pacing like a caged cat. “I should be with them, Frank. I should be protecting them. Damn it.”
Frank looked him in the eye and held him steady. “You told the men we’re all just going to have to pray our families are okay. Kyle and Alice have survived so far. You have to hope they can make it through. They will make it, Guy. We all will.”
Captain Lund’s boys arrived around the coast, piloting a fuel barge up alongside the Hatchet. The putt-putt of the engine echoed across the water.
Guy wiped the tears from his eyes and straightened up. “Get the men to refuel, Chief Petty, and then assemble everybody on launch deck—the civilians too. I have something to say.”
Frank nodded. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
The Hatchet’s crew assembled alongside the civilian refugees on the launch deck, awaiting an address from the Captain. Captain Lund and his boys were also present as Guy had requested them.
Guy stood on top of the ship’s main gun emplacement so he was high enough to see the far edges of the crowd. The Hatchet wasn’t a huge ship, and the massed gathering made it seem cramped. The civilians looked nauseous and afraid, unused to the sea and even less used to the fighting.
“Thank you for gathering,” Guy began. “Some of you have served with me for a long time, some of you not so long, some of you are only catching a ride. Regardless of your position on this ship, we have all survived a terrible tragedy together, and for that, we are brothers and sisters—bonded through adversity and strengthened by courage. I am proud to captain this crew. Things are bad, we all know it. The Navy is in disarray—if it even exists at all—and reports are that the Army are faring little better. Things as we know them have fallen apart, and there is nothing I can do to fix that. All civilians are now free to go, and I hope that Captain Lund will assist you in whatever way he can. New York is no longer safe, but there are still areas yet to be attacked. Cape Fear is one of those areas, so I suggest that you remain here for the time being.
“I also offer release to my crew. Many of you still have time left to serve, but I have come to realise that a man must protect his family first, his country second. In fact, by doing the first, we often serve the second; so go, if you must, and find your families. There will be no repercussions, you have my word. Humanity is at war, and none of us can escape the days ahead, but I will hold no one on board my ship if they do not wish to be here. I, myself, will be crossing the Atlantic to find my own family. Some may call it desertion, but I see no Coast Guard left to desert. Some may call me a traitor, but I would rather betray my country than my children. What I am is a father, and that is how I intend to proceed.”
There was a collective gasp from those who understood the magnitude of what he was suggesting. The Atlantic was a big ocean to cross in a ship not made for comfort.
Guy gave the crowd no time to settle and continued earnestly. “The Hatchet is just about fit to do the journey with a full tank of fuel, and it’s the right time of year, so I’m going to London to find my children. I’ll pilot the ship alone if I have to, but if anyone wishes to join me, I will welcome their company, not as enlisted men, but as volunteers. Once I have my children, I will return to my duty and do what I can to help my country.”
“I’ve always fancied seeing Wembley Stadium,” said Frank. “You think it’ll still be there?”
Guy looked at his oldest friend warmly. “Only one way to find out.”
“I’ll join you, Captain,” said Lieutenant Tosco. His eyes were red and swollen, showing he’d been crying. “I just found out my wife is dead. If I can help you save your kids, then I’ll sail to England with you. Alice and Kyle are Americans. They need our help.”
Tosco had been the last person Guy had expected to join him, but he was more than thankful to have his second-in-command along for the ride. “Thank you, Lieutenant Tosco. I’d be glad to have you.”
More hands went up as more and more enlisted men volunteered. Almost half the civilians remained as well. The final voice in the crowd was Captain Lund’s. “I’d like to come too, if that’s okay, Captain Granger?”
“Don’t you want to run things here, Skip? The voyage will be long and uncomfortable.”
“Don’t consider things are going to be too dandy wherever I go. If I’m to risk my life, I’d rather risk it where I belong: At sea. I’ll be leaving good boys behind—they’ll take care of your civilians, but I want to join your crew, sir. One last adventure for a silly old man. I’ll pull my weight, you can be mighty sure of it.”
“I have no doubt. Welcome aboard, Skip.” Guy looked for more volunteers, but none remained. About a third of the crew had opted to leave, but with the additional civilians, the Hatchet would end up being over-manned. They’d need to resupply before setting off, but that was a problem to be addressed later. For now, Guy just wanted to bask in the feeling of solidarity between him and his fellow sailors. He had truly expected to be making the journey across the Atlantic on his own. Even now, life could surprise him.
“Get some rest, sailors,” he commanded. “We leave bright and early. Until then, think about your decision, and enjoy the land beneath your feet while you can. England awaits us.”
~Mina Magar~
Hyde Park, London
Mina had been sitting on the moonlit grass listening to her father’s angry voicemails when the first shot fired. It came from the edge of camp, over by Marble Arch, and when she looked up, she saw soldiers hastily gathering up their weapons and running to offer support. David had been sitting under a nearby floodlight, working through his notes and chatting to Carol on the phone. He came over now in a hurry. “Did you see what they’re firing at?”
Mina got up and wiped grass off her butt. “It’s too dark to see. The creatures must be attacking again.”
David hissed, “Let’s hope those soldiers know what they’re doing.”
The gunfire increased, lighting up the darkness like a celebration. Radios squawked everywhere as soldiers communicated with one another urgently. Explosions joined the mix and gave Hyde Park its greatest ever fireworks show.
“It’s bad,” said Mina. “The whole camp is getting involved.”
Corporal Martin appeared from one of the nearby tents with Alice and Kyle hurrying behind him. “You need to take the children,” he ordered. “I need to get over there.”
Mina gathered the frightened children to her side, but didn’t want to let the soldier rush off. “They’re attacking again, aren’t they? How many?”
Corporal Martin looked at her gravely. “Just one.”
“One? I don’t understand.”
As if to address her confusion, a beastly roar echoed across Hyde Park, and something huge charged towards the camp. The giant scooped up a black taxi and launched it at the assembled soldiers, scattering them into cover. They spread out, pumping magazines full of ammunition into the creature and hitting it several times with grenades.
Nothing slowed the giant down.
A jeep skidded to a halt in front of it. When the soldier in the back manning a huge machine gun pulled the trigger, it sounded like a volcano erupting. The onslaught of automatic fire was enough to send the giant reeling, but it quickly recovered, dragged an elm tree out of the ground, and launched it at the jeep. The vehicle bucked, rolled, and ended up on its roof. The soldier who had been manning the machine gun fell awkwardly and snapped his neck.
David shot Corporal Martin an accusing look. “Your men are dying.”
“Which is why I need to go help them.”
Mina grabbed the soldier’s arm. “No, you’ll die. Your weapons aren’t working on that thing.”
“Uh, guys?” Kyle got their attention a
nd pointed to the other side of the park. “There’s something else coming.”
Screams filled Hyde Park as an army of charred creatures arrived from a dozen side streets and fell upon the camp. Soldiers began to fall, clutching torn open stomachs and mangled throats. Meanwhile, the giant continued its devastating march, crushing all in its path.
“The battle is lost,” said David. “We need to get out of here.”
Alice cried. Kyle put his arm around her, but looked close to tears himself. Mina smiled at the boy and tried to let him know it would be alright—even though it wouldn’t be.
In the centre of the park, two choppers started up their rotors, each one loaded full of refugees. The army of creatures made for them, but was held back by the last smatterings of resistance. If those soldiers didn’t hold their ground, the civilians would be sitting ducks.
Corporal Martin grabbed his rifle and prepared to head off.
Mina grabbed his arm. “You’re not seriously going to go fight, are you?”
“No,” he said. “We’re getting the hell out of here. Come on.”
They raced after him as he took them across the playing fields towards the centre of camp. It was closer to the danger, but Mina understood the soldier’s motives. The vehicles were all parked in the centre of Hyde Park, and reaching one was their only means of escape.
“Is that the thing you saw earlier, Mina?” David asked her as they sprinted towards the motor pool.
“I only saw it for a moment, but yes, that’s definitely it.”
“It has wings like an angel,” Alice said.
“It’s not an angel,” said Kyle. “It’s a monster.”
“A demon,” Mina stated, as sure of it as ever.
“But it looks like a pretty man,” Alice argued.
“It’s going to bloody well kill us if we don’t hurry up,” Corporal Martin shouted at them all.
The burned creatures were no match for bullets and went down in clouds of gore whenever shot, but their sheer numbers gave them the advantage. They didn’t seem to fear death and were happy to sacrifice themselves if it meant that their comrades would reach their target.
It was a Kamikaze attack. Unstoppable.
Mina and the others were almost at the jeeps. All around them, soldiers screamed and begged for their lives, but they received no mercy. The demons tore out their intestines and left them to die in agony—they seemed intent on maiming over killing. The gunfire became less and less. Floodlights tipped over and shattered, allowing the shadows to claim Hyde Park. Alice screamed and covered her eyes. She stopped running and refused to move.”
Mina tried to grab the girl, but was clawed away. “I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home.”
“Sweetheart, you have to keep moving.”
Kyle came and knelt in front of his little sister. “Hey, Ally. It’s going to be okay. Remember the bus? We were okay, weren’t we? You promised to do whatever I said, and I kept you safe then. I need you to run towards the jeep, okay? Do you understand, Ally? I need you to run. I love you, and it will all be okay.” Alice wiped away her tears and went to look back at the dying soldiers, but Kyle stopped her. “Don’t, Ally. You just focus on running and think about what you’re going to do when we get home. Mom and Clark will take us to Funtown, but first you have to get to that jeep over there, okay?”
Alice nodded and finally got moving again, but they’d lost time they could ill afford. Hardly any soldiers remained between them and the murderous horde of creatures.
The giant was now close enough that the ground trembled beneath their feet as they ran. A hundred metres away, the two helicopters hopped up into the air. They lurched away in separate directions, one heading south, the other heading north, but the chopper heading south passed right over the battlefield.
Right into danger.
The giant leapt up and swatted the helicopter to the ground. The fuselage crumpled and the main rotor broke free and cartwheeled across the park, taking out several soldiers and demons. There was a small explosion from the chopper’s engines, but most of the damage came purely from the force of impact with the ground. Dismembered arms and legs spilled out from the wreckage. Mina’s mouth filled with vomit, but she forced it back down. There was no time for nausea.
Corporal Martin made it to the jeep first, but he didn’t hop in behind the wheel. Instead, he hopped in behind the machine gun mounted on the back. “David,” he shouted. “The keys are in the ignition. Get us out of here.”
David stumbled. “What? I… I can’t take the wheel. What if I crash? M-My nerves are shot.”
Mina shoved him out of the way. “I’ll drive, just get the kids inside.”
David nodded, relieved. “Okay, Kyle, get in the jeep, quickly.”
Kyle shook his head. “Alice first.”
Alice was shaking and trembling, but she hurried towards the jeep as her brother urged her to move. David grabbed the little girl under the arms and launched her across the back seat, where she seemed to take comfort in clicking in her seatbelt. Once secure, she looked over at her brother and waved her hand. “Kyle, come on!”
“I’m coming, Ally.” He took a step forward, but as he did something yanked him backwards.
David went to help, but then changed his mind and backed up against the jeep. “Kyle, run!”
Mina and Martin shouted warnings too.
Alice screamed.
But it was too late.
The demon had the boy firmly in its clutches.
Kyle was brave. He punched and kicked at his attacker, tearing away strips of burnt, tattered flesh, but the simple fact was that the boy just wasn’t strong enough. The demon shook off the blows as if they were flies and thrust its skeletal hand right inside Kyle’s belly, ripping out a pink, glistening bag that could only have been his stomach. Blood exploded from his mouth, and he made the most pitiful whine, but then he fell to the floor, dead.
Martin opened up the machine gun on the back of the jeep, and the demon danced as a hundred metal wasps stung him. Scraps of singed flesh flew into the air like ash, and tendrils of smoke appeared from every bullet hole. When the vile creature hit the dirt, it looked like a soiled rag.
Alice tried to leap out of the jeep and go to her brother, but David grabbed a hold of her collar and kept her inside the jeep. “He’s gone, sweetheart. We have to go.”
“Kyle, no!”
Martin shouted across to Mina. “Get us the fuck out of this city.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Mina stamped on the accelerator and took off at full speed. Behind them, Hyde Park descended into darkness and terror.
~Rick Bastion~
Devonshire, England
Rick was glad he and his brother hadn’t got a taxi and travelled to drink somewhere further afield, for they were able to reach his home within ten minutes, and just as night fell. Keith led the group as if it were his own house they were going to, but Rick had no inclination to complain. After the losses at The Warren, their group now consisted of just him, Keith, Steve, Diane, and Maddy, but when they reached the thick iron gate that protected his property, they discovered a new survivor.
“What are you doing outside my house?” Rick asked the man. The blond stranger—perhaps about thirty—wore a black t-shirt tucked into jeans and was smoking a cigarette. His heavy work boots made him look like an extra out of Grease.
“Wow, this your gaff? Nice. I’ve been rattling away at the gate for the last ten minutes. Never considered you might be out.”
“You weren’t rattling the gate just now,” Rick commented. “You were just hanging around.”
The stranger waved his lit cigarette. “Fag break, mate. Try’na batter down an old iron gate is tiring work. ‘Specially after gettin’ chased by demons.”
Keith held up his iron poker and seemed to examine the dark red blood staining it. “You think they’re demons?”
“I know they’re demons.”
“How?”
There was something about the guy that Rick didn’t like—he was too casual—but he couldn’t turn a person away with so much danger going on. They would have to keep an eye on him. It wasn’t like they didn’t outnumber him.
Rick pulled out his keyring and located the little key that connected to the modern padlock he’d installed on the gate. Before he let everybody in, though, he turned to the stranger and asked for a name.
“Daniel,” came the reply. “And very pleased I am to meet you all.”
“Nice to meet you too, Daniel. I’m Rick. This is my brother, Keith… Steve, Maddy, and Diane. We’re pretty much strangers, but we’re bonding quickly. If you want to stay with us then behave yourself.”
“Yeah, of course, pal.”
They crunched up the driveway while Rick closed and locked the gate behind them, before racing ahead to open up the front door. The alarm beeped, and everyone had to wait in the porch while he disarmed it, but then he invited them all into the lounge where they all sat down—exhausted. It had been a long time since he’d hosted guests, and it made him feel anxious—strange considering the day he was having. It shouldn’t have been important.
“I’ll get everyone drinks,” said Rick.
“Just water for me,” said Diane.
“Me too,” said Steven.
“I think we should stick to the water,” said Keith, although his pained expression made it seem that he wanted a drink as much as Rick. He really had got a taste for it tonight, hadn’t he, but unlike Rick, he had the willpower to say no. It upset Rick to realise that he was more like his father than Keith. Perhaps that was why they had always clashed so badly.
Hell on Earth- the Complete Series Box Set Page 13