“Shhhh!” Emma reprimanded without turning to him, just giving him a hushing wave of her slim hand. Peter annoyed her. It was obvious, this moment called for silence – they just rushed to crouch down behind a desk, why did he think they would do that if there wasn’t a problem?
In the distance, coming through a blood stained doorway that hung on one hinge, was a pod that was leading the remains of some humans, which had tentacles lashing about, and insect-like legs clicking on the tiled floor, as they followed closely behind, filling up one end of the room directly ahead.
113
Captain Stitt
On the side of the road
Just outside New York City
Stitt’s cold, wet face was pushed up against the side of his weapon, as he concentrated down the barrel. He was waiting for just one muzzle flare and he could finish what he started with the ambush truck.
He had heard the chain drop, which he presumed was from the back of the container. If they thought a simple trick like that would get him to open fire they were mistaken. He would wait for hours if necessary.
He had served two tours in Afghanistan, and on one assignment, when his group had been pinned down; he lay in the same location for three days. Mere minutes or hours was a walk in the park.
He was intrigued as to why anyone would climb from the safety the back of the container held. What good would walking around in the dark accomplish? Surely, they weren’t suicidal. He knew what weapons they stole when they made their escape. So he knew they had automatic machineguns and handguns. He presumed the people up in the trucks cab and in the jeep would be carrying the weapons. Why give someone locked away in the container a weapon?
Then the scream pierced the air.
Jackson was hollering in pain, which soon turned to a wet gurgle. A flash of gunfire came from his location, lighting up the bushes around him, as if there had been a lightning strike.
Jackson was locked in what looked like a lovers embrace. A figure held onto him as they moved from side to side. Then darkness filled back in. Silence followed.
Shit! There’s someone sneaking around. They got Jackson.
In his haste to exit the town that was crawling with the infected, and start chasing the people who had ruined his dream, he didn’t pick up any infrared night goggles.
Had they? Did one of them have a set on, and were stealthily moving around in the darkness, hunting us?
Jackson was silent.
Dead?
Maybe they cut his throat from behind, or gutted him like a pig?
The image was just a flash. He wasn’t sure what he saw.
Stitt was suddenly aware of every sound around him. The sound of the rain hammering against the metal of the vehicles, and through the foliage, and pattering against the road.
He was alone. In one way or another – mainly through pure luck – they had systematically cut down all his men.
The odds were stacked against him. He was angry, not stupid. If he fled, he would fight another day.
“You’re time will come, and I will be there waiting,” he muttered. Slowly, without making a sound, he backed off into the wet undergrowth.
114
Terrance, Lindell, Troy, Alex, and the others
In the truck and jeep
Just outside New York City
Terrance stood behind the powerful machinegun. His ears strained to separate the sound of the rain from everything else. It was hard, due to the rain pinging off the metal of the jeep, and echoing along the top of the large container – a constant droning sound.
His hands were numb with the cold, as the rain washed down over his body. He dared not remove them, even to wipe the water from his eyes.
There couldn’t be that many of Stitt’s men left. If the truck was the only transport they had, they could possibly fit eight or so grown men in. However, he knew some men lay dead back at the farmhouse and in the field. They could be facing as many as six or so, or as little as two or three. He was sure that during the gunfire he had only counted two-barrel flares.
Would Stitt be stupid enough to attack us with just one other man on his side? Then again, he didn’t seem like the most stable person.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, there was a scream.
What sort of trick is this? was Terrance’s first thought.
Then a gun went off, lighting up an area across the road in the bushes.
It looked like two people were dancing in the pouring rain.
He didn’t fire because he was confused.
Is it a trick, a ploy to get us to fire in reply?
Silence followed, with just the sound of the torrential rain and the dull crack and rumble of thunder in the distance.
With what felt like hours later, Terrance could hear someone crying softly.
Shit!
It sounded like a female.
He heard the chain rattle at the back of the container, but he hoped it wasn’t due to someone trying to get out, but rather someone inside making sure it was secure.
Terrance strained his hearing. He decided it was definitely someone crying. It was also in the same location the two people seemed to be fighting only moments before.
It could be a trap?
Could one of the others have climbed out of the container? That was just stupid. Why would there?
The crying became louder, followed by loud sobs.
“I’m so sorry Juan. Please forgive me,” the voice said through the darkness.
Terrance climbed over the side of the truck and jumped to the ground.
That was Bonnie’s voice. What has she done?
The fear from the soldier’s was replaced with worry for the teenage girl that had just lost her brother.
For fuck sake, I hope she didn’t do something stupid?
There had been no gunfire from the location on the other side of the road. He hoped that due to the commotion they had fled, and were not there waiting for someone to give their location way.
He had no choice. If Bonnie was injured, he had to help her – he didn’t think about it, he just moved into action.
Lindell must have realized what Terrance was doing, because he climbed into the back of the jeep and took up guard behind the powerful machinegun.
“Fuck it!” Lindell muttered. He wasn’t going to have his brother running around as a target. He flicked a switch. A powerful searchlight flashed on towards the other side of the road.
Lindell quickly scanned the bushes where the other gun flare originated. His finger twitching on the cold trigger.
No bullets peppered the side of the jeep.
Either the person was hiding or gone.
Confident no one was going to take a shot at him he swung the light around towards the direction Terrance ran.
He could see his brother’s hunched form in the hammering rain, as he cradled the limp, fragile body of Bonnie in his arms.
115
Doctor Bachman, Peter, and Emma
The main science block
The underground bunker
Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania
“Jesus, there’s so many of them,” Peter muttered.
Emma put a hand on Peter’s leg and gave it a hard squeeze, digging her nails right in. She hoped he would understand the meaning – Shut the fuck up, you are going to get us killed!
The end of the large room was filling up with the creatures. The pod was to one side, as if waiting for them all to catch up before continuing. It hustled around, touching a tentacle here, a severed spinal cord there, and tapping an armored leg. It herded them into a tighter group.
Bachman looked around. There was no other exit, apart from the one they entered through. The creatures would have to walk right past them. They could slowly crawl around the counter, but there was no guarantee the creatures would exit in an orderly line, they may spread out and lumber around their location.
The pod continued to scurry around, touching a creatures here and there, as
if reassuring the grotesque remains of humans that everything was okay. It herded them to one side, preparing to move them through the room.
Bachman quickly looked around, while trying to keep his head down as far as possible. They were in some kind of laboratory. The room was sectioned into waist high counters, which were filled with electrical equipment, monitors, and large tanks filled with what looked like plankton. They were at one end. However, if they stood up, or tried to get out the door they would be seen. Even if they crawled, they would be exposed as they exited the room.
The creatures started to thrash around as they bumped into each other. Tentacles slapped against the floor, walls, and onto the counters. The sound of glass tanks shattering filled the room as the contents splattered onto the floor.
There were no grunts, or groaning due to the top half of the human body exploding, all that remained was the lower trunk and legs.
The creature’s armored legs clicked in agitation, as they scuttled around each other.
Bachman had to do something, and soon. They were about to be herded right past them. There was no way they could fight them, not with one axe, a chair leg and a fire extinguisher. Emma was feisty, and maybe good in a fight, but Peter was next to useless.
The pod was ready. It was obviously happy with its collection of creatures and was about to prod and poke them toward the door right next to the three crouched figures.
He turned and saw the look in Emma’s eyes. She was frightened, but she also had the pent up look of someone who was ready to defend themselves, regardless of the outcome – she would go down fighting.
Peter looked like he was crying softly, with a hand over his mouth to stop the sound of his sobs from giving their location away.
The creatures started thrashing and moving towards them.
116
Alex, Terrance, Naomi, Frank, and the others
In the truck and jeep
Just outside New York City
When Alex climbed from the truck, he was amazed at the amount of bullet holes splattered down the side of the door. He was thankful for how thick it was. The light had drawn him from his crouched location under the dashboard. If the lights were on, then the fight was over. They were all still alive, so he presumed they must have won.
Lindell was behind the large machinegun on the jeep. He used the powerful light to scan the bushes down one side. Alex then noticed Terrance knelt on the road, cradling Bonnie in his arms.
What the hell? What was she doing outside the container? What was going on? Where were the soldier’s that attacked them?
Alex looked back into the cab. Troy sat staring out the windshield into the darkness. He looked off into the distance. He gripped the photo of his wife in his hand. He looked like he had checked out. It didn’t even look like he had attempted to duck during the hail of bullets. Rain-washed through the hole the infected made in the windshield.
One problem at a time, he thought.
Alex jogged over through the rain to Terrance’s side. The rain-washed down as if he was stood under a powerful cold shower.
Terrance cradled Bonnie’s limp body in his strong arms.
He then noticed a body in the bushes. The handle of a knife protruded from the dead soldier’s chest, right in the heart.
The brother looked up and slowly shook his head. Bonnie was dead. There were multiple bullet wounds in her chest. Blood dribbled from the side of her mouth. She looked much younger than her seventeen years – way too young to leave this world for the next. She was also soaked through to the skin. Her blood was being watered down as he stared at her pale body.
As if she weighted nothing, Terrance slowly stood, holding Bonnie in his muscular arms.
“Way too young,” Terrance muttered.
Alex could just hear him above the sound of the heavy rain.
A hand touched Alex’s shoulder. It was the priest. The others started to climb from the container. They ignored the torrential rain. Alex noticed the priest’s jacket was missing, and his white shirt and beard was soaked in blood.
“I’m sad to say, Jessica has also left us and gone to our heavenly Father,” Frank stated as he stared at Bonnie’s limp body. He made the sign of the cross. His ginger beard was dripping with water – it ran off tinted pink from Jessica’s blood. He used a hand to close Bonnie’s vacant eyes, and made another sign of the cross on her forehead with his thumb.
They stood in silence for a few seconds, acknowledging the loss.
“That was some shit storm!” Naomi announced. “Jesus, another one. We are dropping like fucking flies,” she stated when she saw Bonnie.
“Show some respect,” Terrance snarled. He couldn’t take his eyes off Bonnie’s peaceful, pale face.
“Whatever, Beefcake.” Naomi turned and headed back to the container. It also contained a dead body, and lots of blood, but at least it was dry. As she headed back, she scanned the area for her backpack.
Tierra sat hunched in a corner holding onto her son. She held his head away from Jessica’s body that lay at the back, even though the priest’s jacket covered her face and upper body.
“Oh well,” Naomi said as she climbed back into the dry container, as she scanned it for the twentieth time for her bag. “At least that means we get more leg room, right?” she stated as she lit a cigarette.
117
Doctor Bachman, Peter, and Emma
The main science block
The underground bunker
Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania
Without thinking about it, Bachman grabbed the fire extinguisher from Peter’s shaking grip, and in one smooth motion, he slammed the head onto the tiled floor, smashing the handle free. A vast cloud of white vapor exploded from the end. Luckily, the gasmask saved his face from the blast. He then stood and tossed the metal cylinder into the middle of the oncoming creatures. The extinguisher hissed and spun as it flew through the air. A large cloud of white vaporized powder started to fill the room. A distraction and cover for their retreat.
“Run!” he shouted.
The other two didn’t need any encouragement. They shot out the door like bullets from a gun.
There was only one direction to head off in. They ran down the corridor toward a junction. Hopefully, if they made it, they would be able to lose the creatures in the confusion.
Behind, Bachman could hear the tentacles thrashing in agitation. The sound of breaking glass and splintering wood filled the air. Then the pod raced through the doorway, with its ten sharp spindly feet clicking against the tiled floor.
Bachman was at the back of the group. Emma led them down the corridor, and through a set of swinging doors. They knew the layout; they had just walked through this section of the building.
Bachman was glad Emma was leading them. He knew she would head towards the last large room they left. He knew she would think along the same lines as him. He had no idea where Peter would run. Possibly into a broom cupboard and wrap a wet mop around the door handle.
Emma slammed through a set of double doors, closely followed by the other two.
Bachman didn’t want to turn around to see how close the pod was. He could hear wet slapping. The tentacled creatures were in the corridor, close behind.
They were in a large room, with tall windows down one side. Only ten minutes ago, Emma had commented of something below, between the buildings.
As she raced across the blood soaked floor, Emma gripped a small round table, and held it by two legs out in front of her like a shield. Then she charged directly at a tall window and hit it flat on with the table, as she curled up and went with the momentum. The window shattered as she sailed through. She was closely flowed by Peter, and then Bachman.
118
Alex, Terrance, Naomi, Frank, and the others
In the truck and jeep
Just outside New York City
Alex couldn’t believe how much everything had changed in a matter of a day. So much misery and death. Their numbers were
down from fourteen to only eight – six dead. It was almost inconceivable.
Once again, he sat in the front of the cab along with Troy. He was worried about the older man. He seemed vacant, as if he had given up hope and was now running on autopilot. If he wanted to give up, that was his call, but he wasn’t taking any more people with him. He would keep an eye on Troy. If he had to, he would drive the truck himself.
Lindell and Terrance raced ahead in the jeep. The others were inside the container along with the two bodies, which they would bury at the first opportunity. He realized they had left the body of Cody in one of the outbuildings at the farmhouse.
He committed suicide, would he care what happened to his body?
Luckily, the vehicles weren’t too badly damaged in the collision with the Chevy. They were badly beaten up, but they still worked. The truck made a strange clanking sound now, but it still moved.
The worst part was, one of them had died, but it could have quite easily been all of them.
Why would Bonnie sacrifice herself? At least she decided to do something useful with her last act. She saved us all.
There was no sign of Stitt, so he was still out there. He was still a problem. He could turn up at any time.
We will have to watch our backs.
The body of the soldier was left on the road, after Terrance pulled the knife out of his cold chest.
Frank said they should bury the man. Terrence gave him a look that said, do not push the point. Frank backed down. He still said a quick sermon over the corpse, as they placed Bonnie in the container.
Frank stated the situation brought out the worst or the best in people. Just because he was lost to righteousness, it didn’t mean his soul couldn’t be saved.
No one was listening to him. No one cared about a man who just tried to kill them. The body was left lying by the side of the road for scavenging animals or a passing infected.
The Sixth Extinction America Omnibus [Books 1-12] Page 29