Soozie had no idea what he meant by ‘lucky,’ but she had a feeling Smokie was the reason these men were shipwrecked and floating on a piece of wood.
The boat had been moving slowly around the wreckage. There were no other survivors.
“There’s no others, Boss,” one man said.
“Seriously? Jesus.” He stared at the flotsam for a minute. “In that case, set course directly towards the cargo ship.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The Boss turned his attention back towards the captives. “Let’s go and give your friends a little visit shall we? I have a present for your good friend Smokie.”
277
Naomi
Down inside the hull of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Naomi ran as fast as she could. Her legs ached from the effort, but she knew she had no other choice. If Cain didn’t kill her, then she would become infected, or she would get shot by one of the other idiots with weapons.
She could feel him gaining on her.
Fuck!
She squeezed her bulk through the gaps between some of the pallets.
How fucking big is this ship? It’s never ending.
Then she slammed into a metal bulkhead. She had reached the other side.
Sweat poured down her face as she raced along the towering, dull looking wall of metal that seemed to go on forever.
Surely, there has to be a way out?
A hatch reared up out of the gloom.
Thank God.
Naomi fumbled with the handle, as her sweaty hands tried to get a purchase.
She swung the hatch open and climbed inside. As her eyes adjusted, she stood motionless. Her legs started to shake at the sight in front of her. Piss started to run down her leg as her bladder emptied.
She turned quickly to exit the smaller hold she had stumbled upon.
Cain stood filling the doorframe.
Naomi rushed towards him. She would rather be in his infected arms than go any further into the hold.
Cain gripped her shaking shoulders and spun her around. “There’s no need to rush off. Don’t you want me to introduce you?”
PART ELEVEN
Resurrection
278
Bachman, Emma, Ralph and Pete
Zone 6
The underground bunker
Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania
The banging intensified from the door of the walk-in chiller.
Even though they had all been talking at normal levels, they suddenly all went silent, as if it mattered now – whatever was in the chiller had already heard them.
“Shit,” Emma muttered. “What do we do?”
Bachman inched closer. “It could be a survivor trapped inside?”
“Or a creature, triggered by our talking,” Pete said.
“Hello!” Bachman shouted, as loud as he dared. He moved closer and placed an ear against the door. “Feels cold,” he announced.
“It’s a chiller,” Emma stated.
“Don’t forget the creatures pouring up from the train track. They could burst in at any minute,” Ralph said.
“But we have to check. What if someone became trapped inside?” Bachman stated.
“Can you hear anything other than the banging?” Emma questioned.
Bachman strained. “Nothing.”
The rest moved closer.
“We can stand ready with weapons raised as you open the door,” Emma offered.
“You open it Pete. Yours is the smallest weapon. My axe will do more good than a hammer.”
“It’s not how big it is, it’s how you use it.” When no one laughed at his lame joke, he said, “Then why don’t we just swap Doc?”
“Nice try,” Emma muttered.
Pete reluctantly swapped places with Bachman.
Emma raised the broken mop handle, holding it like a spear.
Ralph held the table leg high, ready to swing it down.
Bachman copied Ralph’s stance.
Pete stood to one side of the thick, wide door, with his hand on the handle.
It sounded like the banging was getting weaker.
“Ready?” Pete asked.
They all nodded, while concentrating on the door and what was about to be released.
“Okay,” Pete muttered, as he tried to stand as far away from the door as possible while still being able to pull the large metal handle. “3… 2… 1…”
The large, thick chiller door burst open.
279
Alex, Terrance, Lindell and Mollee
Down inside the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Naomi’s scream echoed around inside the larger cargo hold.
Alex froze.
Is that it. Has he killed her? Was that Naomi’s final sound upon this earth? If it is, how do I really feel about that?
The tall stacks of pallets surrounded the four of them. It was hard to work out which direction the sound issued from, due to bouncing around inside the cavernous hold.
Lindell waved an arm straight ahead.
The other three nodded. No one said a word. Sound carried and echoed in this large area.
Then the sound of Naomi sobbing filled the silence.
It was followed by the sound of a man talking, “There’s no need to rush off. Don’t you want me to introduce you?”
Lindell stopped. From what the man just said, it was obvious there was at least one other person in there with them as well as the stranger and Naomi.
How could these people be wandering around the vessel, and no one has noticed them? Lindell wondered.
His brother moved up next to him.
“What do you think?” Terrance whispered.
“There’s obviously someone else besides the stranger and Naomi.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Let’s move closer,” Lindell added.
The two brothers led Alex and Mollee towards the sound of the man talking.
The small group rounded a stack of boxes to see a hatch, just as it started to swing shut.
“No please!” Naomi screamed. “Keep it away from me!”
The hatch slammed shut.
280
Smokie and the others
Inside the superstructure of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Smokie jumped back as the armour-plated arm thrust through the metal hatch door as if it was made of wet paper.
A gun moved into her peripheral vision and started to unload the clip through the hole in the metal hatch, into the chest of the creature.
Smokie stood to one side knowing she was only getting in the way, as Sue emptied the magnum.
The creature was tossed back by the velocity of the powerful gun.
Tia barked and danced around Sue and Smokie’s legs.
Smokie pulled her axes free and planted her feet. She wouldn’t be caught off guard twice in a row.
There was shouting behind her as the others rushed forward.
Another creature stepped over the first, and showing phenomenal strength; it gripped the edge of the hatch and bent the metal back, before the hinges gave way and the door wrenched free. It tossed it over the walkway as if it weighed nothing.
The creature stood filling the doorway. It gripped both sides of the entrance as it leaned forward slightly and roared. Its jaw dislocated, as long serrated teeth jutted forward. A long tongue whipped out, lashing like a striking snake. It’s one obsidian eye locked onto Smokie.
Smokie swung an axe upwards, severing the thick tentacle that attached the chest armour to the black mass of tentacles that was thrust through one eye socket.
The creature tumbled back, as if it had been switched off. The crab-like arms on the chest pulled free in a splatter of blood, and then it started to scuttle along the floor, as if searching for another host.
It was racing directly towards Frank.
; Caroline snatched a pump action from Gordon and started firing at the scurrying black legs. The first two shots missed, because of its speed, but as it seemed to crouch, ready to jump at the priest, Caroline fired again, this time hitting it dead center. The creature exploded, spraying chunks all over Frank.
The four remaining creatures outside realized they were losing, so instead of attacking they took a few steps to the railing and vaulted over.
“Jesus,” Smokie said. She rushed to the railing, as she stepped over the two bodies. She witnessed the creature’s land several stories below, unharmed. They raced off behind the stacked containers.
These are not mindless killing machines, just charging regardless; they can think for themselves, and adjust their attack accordingly. And now they are running around free on the ship.
Ah, shit!
It occurred to her that Andy in the engine room, Emma in the bridge, and the four looking for Naomi needed to be warned.
Just then a hand grabbed Smokie’s shoulder, pulling her back. “The birds!” Gordon shouted, as they both dived back inside the mess hall.
Gordon grabbed the closest table and upturned it, wedging it in place, while putting his weight against it, covering the entrance just as more deformed seagulls slammed into the tabletop.
281
Troy
Down inside the hull of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Troy’s head was pounding. He was also weaponless.
I don’t need weapons. I have the power of God on my side, he thought as he entered the hatch into the hold. He quietly closed it behind him.
He stopped for a minute to lean against the cold metal hull. His head throbbed so bad he had to rest for just a moment to get his scrambled thoughts in order.
“Don’t worry baby, I’m still going to fulfil my destiny,” he whispered. “I will soon be by your side my sweetheart.”
He opened his eyes and scanned the vast area. He could hear a female screaming in the distance. He headed towards the sound, while navigating around the stacked pallets.
Then as he rounded another stack, he caught sight of the four others slowly moving towards the far wall. They were watching a hatch slam shut.
That’s the stranger and Naomi; he reasoned. They’re within my grasp.
He knew the others wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he rushed towards them, or if he was found to be sneaking up on them. So instead he decided to steer around them and get to the hatch first.
Whatever it takes that stranger is mine; he thought. God will not let me fail.
He headed around the stack of boxes.
We all serve God in our own way. If mine means martyrdom, then so be it – I’ll go gladly and with open arms.
282
Soozie, Stu, the children and the six men
Out to sea
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Soozie’s head ached where the butt of the rifle had struck her. She sat quietly in the bow, trying not to draw any attention to herself, while she hugged the shivering young girl.
All we need to do is let them take us back to the cargo ship, then when we arrive at least the others will have weapons. I will somehow try to warn them. If only they didn’t take my shotgun.
Stu had his arm around the shoulder of the young boy. He had a feeling the boy was going to try to leap from the boat and head back to the shoreline.
The leader of the group just stared at the four of them – a little more at the two females.
In the distance, the shape of the large vessel started to grow out of the mist. Before long, their boat was catching up. It was jostled by the wake of the much larger ship.
“It’s way too choppy,” the leader announced. “We need to speed up. You two,” he said nodding his head towards Stu and the boy. “Jump!”
“What?” Stu said. He wasn’t sure he had heard right over the sound of the engine.
“I said, jump!” he said again.
“Seriously?” Stu said, while panic constricted his chest. They were hundreds of meters out to sea, with a rocky shoreline that had towering plumes of thin mist spraying up from where the large waves crashed against the rocks. There was no pebbled beach along this stretch of coastline. He knew that if he was pummelled against the rocks, his body would burst like an overripe grape.
Behind the boat, the mist quickly filled in, as if it was chasing them.
“You have two choices,” he casually announced. “You can risk drowning, and maybe survive, or I can shoot you in the stomach and then toss you overboard anyway.” He slowly blinked as if the conversation was boring him.
“You can’t do this,” Soozie shouted.
“Don’t worry, you and the young girl,” he licked his lips, “will be spared. You have your uses.”
The young girl buried her head in Soozie’s chest. Soozie moved her and lay her in the bow, as if she was ready to come to Stu’s aid.
A rifle was pointed at Stu and the boy.
Without any fanfare or words, the young boy stood, on shaking legs, and simply dived overboard without a word.
Soozie squeezed Stu’s shoulder and rested her head on his back, as if giving him a hug farewell.
“You’re a bastard!” Stu said.
“I’ve been called worse,” the man stated as he moved forward and kicked Stu in the chest, sending him flying over the starboard side.
Soozie lunged forward as if trying to catch Stu. Instead, she leaned over the side with outstretched arms, as if not believing Stu and the boy were gone.
283
Naomi
Down inside the hull of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Naomi’s mind almost shut down; her body was completely gripped with fear. Her legs locked and she stood immobile, as the stranger clung onto her and spun her around. She could feel the warm piss running down the inside of her legs.
Cain then used one arm to slam the hatch closed behind them.
I’m locked in here with it, screamed through Naomi’s head.
“There’s no need to be afraid,” Cain whispered into her ear. “She will not hurt you… maybe.” He chuckled. It sounded vile.
“Please… No… Don’t…” Naomi pleaded as the man pushed her forward, inching her closer to it.
Her boots screeched along the metal deck.
“She would love to say hi,” he hissed. Black spittle flecked his dry lips.
Naomi clenched her eyes shut. The view ahead was from the worse part of her imagination – an impossible nightmare.
It cannot be real. My mind is fucked up from withdraw. It’s an illusion, she told herself. However, even as she thought it, she knew she was clutching at straws.
She slowly forced herself to open her eyes.
The floor was covered with the bodies of all the decomposing crew members. They lay as if being tossed around by a giant; and the giant was still here, perch onto of all the corpses – feeding.
284
Frank and the others
Inside the superstructure of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Frank stood leaning against the hull. Globs of flesh dropped from his blood-soaked dressing gown. Luckily, none of the splatter from the exploding crab-like creature hit him in the face.
The chaos around him was making him dizzy.
Gordon held a table over the gap where a metal door was just ripped away by a new strain of the infection – a creature that was once one of them.
Smokie stood with an axe in each hand.
The other people stared out the windows, waiting for direction.
More birds were striking the glass, trying to get at the people inside.
Frank couldn’t take it any more. He headed back towards his cabin. He left bloody footprints on the thin carpet, and more dripped from his dressing gown.
The chaos raged behind him.
Will this ev
er stop? There is always something. We never get a single break. It’s a constant shit storm.
He passed the other doors and pushed through his, making sure it was secured from the inside. He walked straight to the small shower cubical inside the narrow bathroom.
Frank turned the shower to full and stood under the torrent of cold water. He let the dressing gown drop to the tiled floor. The water was tinted red around him.
He stood letting the cold-water wash the filth and gore from his body. His thick ginger hair and beard was plastered against his head and face.
It’s so easy to clean the physical, but so hard to scrub the mental images of what I’ve just seen.
He ran his hands through his hair and scruffy beard.
Without thinking about it, he reached outside the shower and pulled open the small cabinet.
Scissors.
He remembered seeing them when he looked through the cabin assigned to him. He then stood under the cold water and started to cut chunks of his beard away, letting them fall onto the dressing gown around his feet.
Once he finished he started on his hair. He kept his eyes closed and trusted his touch.
When he has removed as much as he could with the small scissors, he reached back into the cabinet for a razor.
285
Emma
Inside the bridge of the superstructure
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Emma stood in front of the control panel. There was no huge wooden wheel, just a series of switches and toggles, and a small joystick.
It was lonely up in the vast bridge, with its long window that encompassed the complete front wall of the bridge.
The Sixth Extinction America Omnibus [Books 1-12] Page 58