Shadows of Ash (The Nameless Book 2)

by Adrian J. Smith

  “What look?”

  “Like the Tetris pieces don’t fit.”

  “It’s the crates. There are too many. We’re too well supplied. Yamada said he doesn’t want us to starve before we die of radiation poisoning. He wants us to die slowly. Sure, but we have weeks of food and water. One can survive three weeks without food. Three days without water.”

  “Yeah, yeah. The rule of three. So?”

  “So, it’s still too much. And why the whiskey?”

  “Maybe he wants us to drown our sorrows.”

  Ryan jumped up and paced in front of the door. He had ripped out a couple of pages of the manual and was holding them up to the light.

  “The more I think about it, the more I realize Yamada wasn’t upset at his son’s death. He seemed amused – relieved, maybe. Like we did him a favor. Think about it. Why was Takeshi way out here?”

  “You saw what was down in that lab. Touma would have wanted someone important overseeing it,” Cal said.

  “Maybe. It got me thinking. Something I overlooked before.”

  “A way out?” Cal said.

  “Yes. A possibility, at least. This plant draws seawater in for cooling. We get out through there.”

  Ryan looked down at the plans. Was he right? Whatever the case, it was risky and would mean a swim for someone. A long swim.

  “Find Booth and Allie,” he said.

  Twenty-One

  “Are you crazy?” Booth said. “That’s the most insane thing you’ve ever come up with.”

  The Nameless were gathered around the maintenance plans, listening to Ryan.

  “Someone has to swim sixty meters down this intake pipe, then come back inside and open the door,” Ryan said.

  “Exactly. Insane.”

  “I’m out. Last time I was in water, I nearly drowned,” Cal said.

  “I don’t think I’d make it that far underwater,” Sofia said.

  “It’s okay. I’ll go,” Ryan said. “See if you can find some rope as a safety line.”

  Allie let out a deep sigh. “I’ll go.”

  “Out of the question. You’re our only pilot. We need you.”

  “If we don’t get out of here, it won’t matter. Besides, I’m the only one capable. I used to swim competitively. Sixty meters underwater is nothing.”

  “It’ll be dark.”

  “I can make it.”

  Ryan didn’t like the idea, but he could see the sense in it. If Allie had indeed swum competitively, then she was best suited for the job. “All right. If you’re confident. Do you think you can find your way back here?”

  “I’ll work it out.” She pointed into the large containment room. “That big dome is a giveaway.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine,” Booth, Sofia, and Cal echoed.

  The Nameless broke apart and gathered supplies for Allie. Ryan tipped out the contents of a plastic bag for Allie to put her clothes in. They all filed out of the room, through the small chambers and across the gangway. It took a few minutes to find the tank. The water was sky blue and had a tangy, metallic scent.

  Allie took the plans from him and scanned them. “We can’t drain the tank or reverse the flow of water?”

  “I couldn’t find anything about that in the manual. Maybe they don’t risk it. I’m more worried about the water being contaminated, but the Geiger counter readings match what we have already.” He waved the counter over the tank. “If you feel sick at any stage, come back. We’ll figure something else out.”

  “Okay. Wouldn’t these pipes have grates or something to stop fish coming up?”

  “Nothing’s marked.”

  “What’s this?” Allie jabbed her finger at the page.

  Ryan frowned. “Literally translated, it says Draw off instalment.” He smacked the heel of his palm against his head. “I’m an idiot. It’s a pumping station. To control the flow of water. You can exit through there after a thirty-meter swim.”

  “Good. I’ll still do it,” Allie said.

  Ryan grasped her shoulder. “Thank you. I’m glad it was you I met on Koya. I wouldn’t have made it off that mountain otherwise.” He handed her the relevant pages of the manual.

  Allie pulled off her top layer of clothes and raised an eyebrow at Booth. “Don’t get any ideas. You still have to buy me dinner.”

  “I can’t help it. Here you are, stripping in front of me.”

  “Turn around, then.”

  “And miss the show,” Booth quipped as he placed her clothing in the plastic bag and tied the top.

  Allie took one last look at the plans and dove into the cool water of the tank. She saluted, took a deep breath and kicked toward the bottom.

  ***

  She began cramping after twenty meters. Up until then it had been easy going. Her heart thumped, pounding in her ears as, fighting the current all the while, she felt along the smooth metal above her head for the large access panel to the pumping station. The farther she traveled along the pipe, the stronger the pull toward the sea.

  At last she located the access panel. Clinging to it, she strained with her fingers to grip the hatch. The opening mechanism gave without much resistance as she broke the surface and gasped in lungfuls of air.

  The pumping station was well lit, and there were no immediate threats visible. Allie squeezed the water from her underwear and wriggled into her dry clothes from the bag. The air outside was cool, and a slight breeze carried the scents of battle and fire. A chemical odor hung around, scratching the inside of her nostrils. She slowly turned, getting her bearings. The big dome loomed above her.

  She set off toward the dome, pausing every few moments to listen, sniff the air, and stare into the semi-darkness. Nothing moved in the power plant, but the twisting maze of pipes made it difficult to see.

  As she walked, Allie wondered if they would ever make it back to the United States. She had come to Japan seeking an escape. Seeking solitude, time away from her life, somewhere to figure out the next step. Instead, she had found horror and chaos, got tangled up in the machinations of a megalomaniac group. She smiled. She had also found Booth. Where that was going, she didn’t know. Could it go anywhere?

  Allie flinched as a gray powder dusted her exposed forearm. Glancing up, she spotted its source. A rifle with a long barrel was caught on some railings. Dog tags dangled below. Ash coated the area, swirled around by the breeze.

  Howls broke through the silence, raising the hairs on her neck. They were out there somewhere. The Hounds. Allie had seen them. Evil-looking abominations created in the lab that now burned just out of view. A creature howled again, closer this time. Several others replied in rapid succession.

  Had they picked up her scent?

  Not wanting to hang around and find out, she climbed up the railings like she was in a child’s playground and crouched down next to the scattered ash. She lifted the sniper rifle to her shoulder and peered through the scope. Immediately she spotted five of the wolf-like creatures. White fur. Long heads and weird, stretched-out limbs. They stopped and nuzzled one another, then sniffed the air and pawed the ground. That they could smell her was certain, but perhaps their eyesight was poor. Allie shrugged and, working the bolt action, loaded a round into the chamber. The scope had clear optics and she lined up one of the Hounds with ease. Her finger caressed the trigger. Allie had always found it hard killing animals. Even though these looked like something out of hell, they had to have been majestic wolves at some stage.

  She stared through the scope. The Hound swiveled its head to look directly at her, as if it knew. It snarled, showing its teeth.

  “Sorry,” Allie whispered. She tugged the trigger. The Hound dropped as the kick of the rifle slammed into her shoulder. The boom of the supersonic bullet echoed around the plant. She slid the bolt and repeated the action, killing another of the Hounds and scattering the rest. They shrieked and howled, disappearing into the jungle of pipes and buildings. And sure enough, the howls were replaced by groans. Groans of wo
rkers. Workers who, instead of turning into ash or surviving, had become something else entirely. Not human. Siphons.

  Allie looked around. The gangway she was on led to the roof. She could either go up or down. Down meant the dome and the trapped Nameless. Down also meant the Hounds and Siphons. Allie let out a groan of her own and rested the rifle on the railings. She loaded another round and picked her next target, and the next, saying a prayer for each one she killed. Once her path was clear. She stood up, and as she did so, her foot kicked an object amongst the remains. A Sig Sauer P365, still in its holster.

  New howls interrupted her celebrations. The Hounds were back, and they’d brought friends. Lots of friends.

  Allie groaned again and dashed down the stairs two at a time. Faster she ran, aiming for the big dome structure. She ducked under pipes and around sharp corners, ignoring the chasing pack. The noise they made as they yelped and howled was enough to wake the dead. On she ran, leaping down stairs and trying every door she came across. Locked. Faster, the sniper rifle banging against her bum. A shriek from above caused her to look up. Three Hounds had scaled to the roof of a square flat building and were tracking her. Allie grimaced and slipped the handgun free.

  Up ahead she spotted another door, larger than the rest, painted dull black with white Japanese writing. She urged her exhausted legs faster. The Hounds above her shrieked and leapt off the roof. Allie barely had enough time to swing the sniper rifle round in front to block the creatures’ attack. Teeth smashed together centimeters from her face, and clawed feet scratched her legs. Somehow, she found the strength from deep down inside to fight back. It wasn’t only the thought of dying that gave her the energy; it was also the thought of Booth and The Nameless dying from either starvation or radiation sickness. Allie let out a garbled howl of her own and pulled the trigger of the P365, silencing the beast on top of her. The second Hound attacked, and the third. Allie shot them in turn, and they fell, quivering and whimpering as they died.

  Their pain tore at her soul. More Hounds slunk out of the shadows. Five? Six? Nine? It was difficult to judge their numbers. Allie rolled back her shoulders and eyed the door. So close but so far.

  ***

  “You have that look again,” Cal said.

  Ryan grunted, low and guttural. “It’s the can of Natto – fermented soybeans.”

  “So? What about it?”

  “It tastes nasty. Only Japanese people eat it. People born here. Brought up on it.”

  “Like Vegemite?”

  “That’s delicious and good for you. But why would Yamada give us that?”

  “I hardly think he’d care what food we ate.”

  Ryan shook his head and picked up the can, feeling its weight. He turned it over and chuckled. Showed Cal the object taped to the bottom: a pair of alligator clips used for making temporary electrical connections, and a small USB stick. “Sofia. Can you use these?” he said, throwing her the clips.

  Sofia caught the clips and frowned. “The wires. That’s what they’re for.”

  Ryan stared at the USB before giving it to Sofia as well. He knew what it was – information on Offenheim. “Check what’s on there too.”

  “We made Allie swim thirty meters, putting her in danger,” Booth said. He banged on the concrete door. “C’mon. It’s been ages.”

  Sofia deftly connected the clips to a cable from her tablet. She banged the side with her hand and muttered in Spanish under her breath. A few minutes later there was a clicking sound, followed by a groan as the door swung inward.

  ***

  The Hounds attacked with an abrupt burst of speed, shrieking, saliva drooling, eyes red and wide. But amongst the rolling mass of white, Allie glimpsed a flash of gold. It sped past and skidded to a halt in front of Allie. A golden labrador. A split second later, another flash fought its way through the pack. Allie blinked at what she was witnessing and emptied her magazine at the creatures, firing until the gun clicked empty. She pocketed it, unslung the sniper rifle, and shot bullet after bullet until that clicked empty as well.

  Carnage greeted her. The flash, she could now see, was a woman, and Allie watched her break the neck of the last Hound and spin toward her. Dressed in white, splashes of blood soaked her garments, blending with her mess of red hair. The woman gazed at Allie, nose twitching as if she was inhaling her scent. She smiled, making the freckles above her lip dance.

  “Who are you?” the woman said.

  “Allie.”

  “What are you doing out here?”

  “My friends and I were trapped inside there.” Allie gestured at the dome. “Where did you come from?”

  The woman grinned and tilted her head. The dog wagged its tail, sniffed Allie, and licked her hand. “Dog likes you. I’m Ebony.”

  “You called your dog ‘Dog?’”

  “It’s not my dog. I’ll think of a better name soon.”

  “Thanks for fighting off those creatures.”

  “We’d better move. There are more out there.” Ebony brushed past Allie and tried the handle. Locked, like all the others. She grunted, leant back, and kicked it open. “Let’s go find your friends.”

  Twenty-Two

  Castle Rock, Washington

  “What are they doing?” Reid said, lifting the NVGs that were mounted to his helmet.

  “It’s certainly odd behavior,” Lisa whispered. She lifted her own NVGs, pivoted, and sat back down behind the low hill.

  Lisa, Staff Sergeant Joe Reid, and corporals Clough and Torres had made it as far as Castle Rock before holing up for the night. They had spent the day driving back roads at a slow pace to avoid detection. Along the way, they had taken notes of any human survivors and any Black Skull operations. So far, both had been minimal. Reid had suggested they stop in Castle Rock as it had ample high ground to observe both the interstate and secondary roads.

  Lisa turned around and adjusted her NVGs. The Rabids were congregated around a cell phone tower like moths to a flame, silent, unmoving, their heads tilted back as if watching a fireworks display. She cast her mind back to her conversation with Dr. Johnson, Monica, and her discovery of nanites in the victim’s blood. Though unconfirmed at this stage, did it have something to do with the odd behavior of these Rabids?

  “Keep watching. Two hours each. Torres, you’re up first,” Lisa said.

  The corporal moved into position without uttering a word. Lisa tapped Reid on the arm and, along with Clough, moved a few meters down the slope. They sat down and ate a quick meal.

  “Any ideas?” Reid asked.

  Clough shrugged. “Way above my pay grade.”

  “Forget about it for now.” Lisa said. “Remember, our main goal is the commandos roaming around like they own the place. I’ve had a couple of run-ins with them already. The sooner we take them down the better. Clough, watch our backs. Same deal – two-hour shifts.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Lisa pulled a small tarp from her backpack and checked her weapons. She leant back and gazed at the stars, running through all that had happened since the explosion and subsequent attack on LK3. It had to be connected to the satellite codes. To ReinCorp. All the strange events had begun when they had discovered the codes.

  She sat up and grabbed the field radio. “I’m going to report to Munroe.”

  Clough and Reid barely responded as she made her way to the minivan. It was time to check in with Avondale too. Once in the van, it only took a few moments to dial up the correct frequency.

  “Avondale.”

  “Director.”

  “It’s good to hear your voice again. What have you got for me?”

  “Black Skulls are sweeping through the smaller towns, rounding people up. A lot of them are wearing FEMA jackets. At this point, I haven’t seen anything bad happening. Once the citizens have been given supplies and checked medically, they can return home. They are, however, shooting the Rabids on sight, and I watched a team take a few captive, hauling them away.”

  “Captive?
That’s weird. Have you seen any congregating around cell phone towers?”

  Avondale coughed. “No. Let me see.” The computer genius stopped talking and tapped on his keyboard, stopping only to click his mouse while muttering to himself.

  “Yeah. I can see them. There’s a group up in Longview. Hillsboro. Clackamas as well. What the actual flip?”

  Lisa sighed. “Just another mystery to add to the list. Any luck locating The Nameless?”

  “Yes. Their trackers show they’re on the island of Hokkaido. The signal is weak, making it hard to pinpoint their precise location.”

  “Any other way?”

  “Director?”

  Lisa hesitated. Avondale’s voice had a nervous tone she wasn’t used to. “What is it?”

  “Ever since the combusting event, I’ve been watching cellular networks for any spikes in activity. Mainly keeping an eye on ours here in the States, and in Japan – since that’s where The Nameless are. There were two spikes, forty-five minutes apart, fourteen hours ago. Both the same frequency and strength. The strange thing is, it was on Hokkaido, closest point of interest, Tomari Nuclear Power Plant. I ran some checks and tried to access the network, but since I don’t have any backdoors into their systems, that proved fruitless.”

  “You think its them?”

  “I’d put money on it. I’m tracking any flights or shipping leaving the island just in case.”

  Lisa stared out the window. It was a crisp, clear night. The streetlights of Castle Rock blinked below. Could it be The Nameless were still alive?

  She had hoped, even had confidence, that they were. Connors was one of the stubbornest sons of bitches she’d ever met.

  “Thanks, Avondale. Keep up the good work. Out.”

  Lisa turned the detent dial and contacted Munroe. She didn’t have long to wait, as she made contact at the same time every night.

  “Omstead. Good.”

  She made her report, filling the general in on what she had seen. He grunted a few times in reply.

  “Johnson’s here and wants to talk to you. I want your opinion after you hear what she has to say.”