The Sixth Extinction America Omnibus [Books 1-12]

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The Sixth Extinction America Omnibus [Books 1-12] Page 50

by Johnson, Glen


  Smokie caught it. “Andy. Come in Andy. Are you there? Come in Andy, goddammit! I have a plan.”

  226

  Deep down inside the cargo ship

  Somewhere off the shore in New York State

  The man felt and heard the impact. What were they doing to his ship? Everything was okay until these people turned up, ruining everything. He scratched his head, ruffling his greasy hair. He pushed the hair out of his red-rimmed eyes. They burned all the time, making them itch. He tried not to scratch them; it only made them bleed more than normal.

  There was a loud clunking sound, followed by more in quick succession. He had no idea what it could be.

  There was a time when the vessel was silent – nothing stirring. He liked the silence; it didn’t hurt his sensitive ears. How he wished they’d just leave – give him back his ship and the silence. It felt like a huge mausoleum.

  He was the one who stayed behind. He didn’t rush to evacuate as soon as humanly possible. He didn’t sprint to the life boats like a chicken-shit. He stayed. He persevered and was rewarded by ended up with the vast ship all to himself. By maritime laws, he claimed the vessel for himself. He was the only man left standing. By rights, it was his.

  He slowly climbed to his bare feet. He swayed a little, now the ship was slightly leaning to one side. He found the slant nauseating.

  He hadn’t been up into the sunlight for weeks. The sun, regardless of how dull, hurt his eyes. However, he needed to know what was happening to his ship.

  He gripped the knife in his strong hand and left his concealed place of hiding.

  227

  Bachman, Emma, Ralph and Pete

  Zone 4

  The underground bunker

  Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania

  Slowly, in case there were any lingering creatures around, they made their way out of the terminal room and along the corridor. There was a long floor to ceiling windows to the left, and it gave a view across the buildings and underground landscape.

  Pete dropped and untied the remains of the creature he was carrying. He scraped the worse of the gore off. He was left with smelly overalls that were covered in dripping blood. He looked even smaller and younger than before.

  Even Emma felt large standing next to him.

  They could all see the ash raining down from above as if it was dirty snow. From their location, they could see it was drifting down from the large elevator shaft, then it got caught in the zone’s environment updrafts, which caused it to spread out and rain down evenly.

  “Jesus,” Emma stated. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “What? What do you think it is?” Pete questioned.

  “We fried the creatures that were trying to exit the main warehouse entrance. We, well, Ralph, turned up the juice on the Furnace, a failsafe function which allowed us to wipe most of the creatures out in one blast.” She stared at the raining ash that was covering everything in a thick layer.

  There were a few furrows scraped through the ash in places, where some remaining creatures were still ambling around, lost and without direction.

  “You mean to tell me that’s what’s left of most of the horde?” Pete’s eyes were wide, as if being shocked by the significance of the situation.

  “We still have plenty down here to worry about,” Bachman said. “Let’s not start planning the party just yet.” The large shire horse creature that chased them into the bovine barn, was still fresh in his mind and aching body. He rubbed a hand over his aching chest.

  They stood in silence and watched the grey ash slowly drift down to settle over everything. The view looked like a demonic Christmas card.

  The only sound was the gore dripping off Pete’s clothing onto the tiled floor.

  “So what’s the plan now?” Emma questioned, while turning to look at Bachman.

  Bachman looked towards the main elevator shaft. “I think it’s time we got to the surface and find out if there’s anyone left out there.”

  228

  Lindell.

  Below deck on the cargo ship

  Somewhere off the shore in New York State

  Lindell cursed himself for not thinking of the answer sooner. Without the aid of a radio the fastest way to get the information passed along, was to deliver it in person. The switch he needed was down in the engine room.

  He charged passed a few others who seemed confused as to what was going on. He ignored their questions as he ran by. He could answer all the questions they wanted when the ship was safe.

  His boots squeaked on the decking as he turned another corner.

  With the speed of a desperate man, he charged along the corridors, working his way deeper into the large vessel.

  Jesus, this place is too big. Who needs a ship this size?

  He reflected on the world which would never be the same again. A world which had gone crazy. A world run on the fossilized remains of forests and animals dead millions of years.

  Will we one day be the fuel source for a future era? he wondered. If, that is, anyone survives?

  His feet pounded the decking as thoughts coursed through his mind. He was trying to divert his attention away from the impending doom.

  A world so fucked up, on one side people were dying from obesity, while on the other, millions died from starvation. In some places, people died of thirst, while their water was being bottled and sold to the rich thousands of miles away. Maybe this epidemic is the world’s way of correcting the balance?

  And that’s what we did to each other, what about the shit we’ve done to the world? Thousands of species becoming extinct every year. Polluting the water and the air with our machines.

  He could hear banging, with metal on metal. Possibly more grappling hooks latching onto the railings.

  The sound sped him on, his mind coming back to the moment at hand.

  Maybe we deserve all this; he reasoned. Because if mother nature didn’t step in, we would destroy the world and everything on it, as we spiral out of control.

  Then he heard the burp of automatic gunfire.

  Jesus, are they already on the ship, am I too late?

  He had to believe he still had a chance, no matter how slim.

  He reached some metal steps. Instead of running down them he hooked his legs over and slid down the metal. He slammed down onto the decking and continued on.

  Sweat poured down his face and back. He wiped some from his eyes.

  He caught movement out of the corner of his vision. As he flashed a glance, he saw no one. There was only Andy down this far in the belly of the vessel. He gave it scant attention. Just shadows and too much stress.

  As he rounded the corner he saw the large hulking form of Andy striding towards the same location. He had a radio in his hand.

  “I’m hitting it now, Smokie,” he stated as he gripped and pulled the lever Lindell has just run down into the ship to activate.

  There was a loud rushing sound.

  Lindell stood leaning against the metal hull.

  “Smokie thought of it too, huh?”

  “Yup,” Andy said.

  “Found a radio did she?”

  Andy just slammed a hand down onto Lindell’s thick shoulder.

  “Look on the bright side, at least you got some exercise.”

  229

  Smokie

  On a walkway on the superstructure of the cargo ship

  Somewhere off the shore in New York State

  Smokie clicked off the radio button. She stared across at the man who mocked her. She wanted to see the look on his face.

  Suddenly, a loud rushing sound filled the air, covering the sound of shouting and gunfire. At the same instant, all the evenly spaced powerful water hoses gushed to life. Thick jets of pressurized water shot forth that completely encompassed the vast vessel. It was the anti-pirate countermeasure. Nothing would be able to get close with the powerful streams of water arching from the hundreds of nozzles.

  The boat that crashed into the side wa
s completely swamped and vanished behind a wall of water. The taut ropes now flapped useless in the continuous waterfall. The men vanished, like ants trying to grip a piece of string in a hurricane.

  The speed boat, which had been lowered and was racing to the cargo ship, was hit head on. The weight and pressure of the water made the boat flip, sending men flying through the air, to vanish beneath the churning sea.

  Also, Andy had already started the powerful engines, and the vessel was now moving. At first, because of the gunfire, stress and rushing water, no one noticed the large boat lurch. Now they could all feel it moving beneath their feet, and the hum of the large engines.

  Up in the bridge, Emma Dudley – with Andy’s direction – steered the massive vessel via a small joystick. Emma was disappointed that the days of large wooden wheels were over. She would’ve felt more like a pirate gripping a large knotted wheel instead of a diminutive joystick that felt like it would be used to control a video game.

  Slowly, but surely, the vast cargo ship started to move past the coastguard vessel. As it did it moved closer. The powerful jets of water poured over the side of the ship, washing away anyone who didn’t grasp a hold of something tied down.

  The massive ship churned on past. The wall of water made the smaller coastguard boat lean dangerously to the starboard side due to the amount of water pouring over it.

  Smokie looked on as she saw people get washed away over the side of the enemies vessel. She could see the man still staring across at her as he gripped a railing.

  The older boat that had rammed them was gone, vanished beneath the churning water, then pushed away by the power of the much larger vessel.

  Then through the radio she told Emma which direction to head towards. The cargo ship then clipped the bow of the coastguard cutter. Metal screeched on metal as the back end of the cargo ship crushed up against the bow of the smaller, light ship. The whole front dipped dangerously into the water, with waves crashing up over the bulwarks, washing those that managed to hang on clean away.

  “Drop it now!” Smokie shouted into the radio.

  A loud rattling could be heard as one of the vessels massive, multi-ton anchors, which was on the portside, was released, right onto the prow of the coastguard’s boat.

  The sound of the thick chain rattling free drowned out the sound of the rushing water from the hoses.

  The fifty ton chuck of metal crushed through the hull, ripping away the bow of the coastguard ship and compacted everything around it – the large cannon on the front vanished in a cloud of shrapnel. For a few seconds the aft end of the vessel raised above the waterline from the impact, then, as the anchor ripped through the vessel like a hot knife through butter, the ship crashed back down.

  The cargo ship continued on past.

  Emma gave the joystick a quick nudge to make sure the whole length of the vessel scraped down the remains of the coastguards ship.

  “Try to pull it back in,” Smokie shouted into the radio.

  The chain went taut and started to wind back in. With a few jolts, and more rendering metal, the anchor pulled free, ripping apart anything that was left in its way.

  Smokie looked back through the mist of water from the powerful hoses, as the coastguard ship leaned dangerous to the starboard side. The whole front end was gone, mangled and ripped open, with water rushing in. Slowly, the vessel started to sink bow first.

  Smokie could just make out the form of the man still staring at her. She raised a hand and gave a salute, then stuck up her middle finger in a final, fuck-you gesture.

  230

  Bachman, Emma, Ralph and Pete

  Zone 4

  The underground bunker

  Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania

  “To the surface?” Emma questioned.

  “The whole complex is military. We are surrounded by army barracks. Now the main threat has gone; we can see if we can get any help,” Bachman said.

  “But what about the creatures left down here?” Ralph stated.

  “Only the pods could spread the spores, or create new strains. These can be dealt with and cleared away. If the army is still left up there, then they can help with that.”

  “What if there’re people trying to get in. They’ll overrun us; we are so few,” Pete stated.

  “This bunker was made for thousands, to keep them safe for decades. Do we have the right to keep others locked out?” Bachman answered.

  Pete lowered his head in shame. “You’re right. Sorry. After everything’s that’s happened, I only see the bad in people.”

  “Let’s hope that if there are any people left up there to be saved, they will appreciate us opening the doors for them?” Emma remarked.

  “It’s a gamble, but there could be dozens, if not hundreds of people needing help. People from the base and the surrounding area,” Ralph chipped in.

  “Also, the army can round up what’s left of the creatures down here, and help clean up the gore,” Bachman said. “And we don’t know how to run most of the systems down here. It would be nice to get some experts. Also, to have someone in charge.” Bachman knew he was just a scientist. He wasn’t cut out to lead these people. Let whoever’s in command up there take control. He was an outsider, simply brought in to give his expert opinion.

  It was agreed that they would head towards the surface and see how the situation panned out. If they were the only ones left, they would have to make do with just the few of them.

  Ralph stated he would take them to the weapon’s section. He had been on the way there when he stumbled on Bachman and Emma.

  Emma for one knew she would feel a hell of a lot better with an automatic weapon in her hands. She had no idea how to use one, but there was no time like the present to learn.

  Bachman turned to a map of the bunker on a nearby wall. Congealed blood covered most of it, but the section he needed to see was clear.

  They were in Zone 4. The artillery was in Zone 8. They had so much trouble just moving from zone to zone before, but he knew now that most of the creatures were gone, turned into ash, so they could move about more easily.

  He traced a finger from Zone 4, through 1, then 6, 7, then finally 8. It was a long way, compared to what they had travelled so far, but they had Ralph and Pete with them, people who worked in those areas – people who knew the layout of the bunker.

  “Okay, he said turning back to the small group. “Let’s get moving.”

  231

  Terrance

  Below deck on the cargo ship

  Somewhere off the shore in New York State

  Terrance checked the area the ship rammed. As far as he could tell, apart from some severe denting, and curving of the hull, the vessel was still watertight – there are no breaches.

  However, he didn’t know the outcome up above. As far as he knew, the others could be crawling over the vessel by now. He took the silence as a good sign – no gunfire. There was also a strange gushing sound, which seemed to emanate from all directions, and vibrate through the hull. Also, the ship was now moving.

  He needed to get back on deck and see what was happening.

  As he raced along the corridor that encircled the complete ship, several levels down, he wondered why anyone would abandon the craft. A massive, protected vessel that can be moved anywhere. It seemed madness to leave it behind. Then again, when the end of the world arrived, most of the people, if not all of them had loved ones somewhere other than the ship. They most probably raced away to go and see if they were safe.

  He turned as he heard footsteps down the end of the long corridor. As far as he knew, there shouldn’t be anyone else down here with him, unless a few of the others have run below deck to hide from the attackers.

  Just as he turned he caught a glimpse of a man walking round a corner. It was only a flash, but it was enough to know the person was a stranger.

  Terrance scanned the area for a weapon. There was nothing, the place was just a stark metal corridor.

  The gl
impse of the man was enough to know he was not part of the group, but he couldn’t be sure if he was carrying a weapon.

  Shit! What do I do, I’m weaponless?

  He had to at least follow the man and see where he’s going, and how he got past the others.

  Have they already boarded the vessel? If so, why didn’t he come after me? Did he even realize I was here?

  Terrance started to jog down the long corridor towards the man. When he reached the corner, he slowly looked around. No one was there. There are four hatches. The man could’ve entered any one of them.

  Shit! Where’d he go?

  232

  Naomi and Alex

  On deck of the cargo ship

  Somewhere off the shore in New York State

  Naomi got back to her feet. She had dropped to the deck when the powerful water hoses turned on. At first, she was confused. Then it dawned on her; they were a good thing – something that would keep the others from repelling onto her ship. Then the ship started to move. She stayed down, hidden behind a large chunk of metal that she presumed had thick rope loped around it when the ship was in dock.

  She had ducked down lower when the sound of the anchor ripping through the coastguard ship had echoed around her.

  For fuck sake, everything was supposed to be okay now we are on the ship. A safe haven, Smokie called it. A beacon for all the maniacs in the area to head towards more like. God, what I would give for just one more hit right now. She could almost taste the powder on her gums.

  Things continuously went from bad to worse. Then to are-you-fucking-kidding-me situations. She was tired of the drama and having to run for her life.

  “You okay?” Alex shouted to be heard over the gushing of the hoses.

 

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