“Get ready,” Jeff said. His heart was thumping so hard now that he could hear it. He took a deep breath and waited.
Shrieks filled the night as the Spiders fanned out.
“Crap,” Jeff muttered. He thought of his dad and fired off the first shot.
The weapon hammered back into his shoulder. He let out a cry and then refocused. The round had gone wide, missing the intended Spider that was now rushing toward the hangar.
He fired again.
The bullet chipped the pavement, leaving a dent in it. The creature halted, pawing the air with its front claws. Mandibles opened and more of the high-pitched sounds filled the night.
“Shoot, David! Now! ”
The boy did as he was told. The hunting rifle cracked and put David on his ass. But the bullet hit one of the Spiders. Jeff watched in horror as a blue shield pulsated around the monster.
“Crap. Crap, crap!” he shouted. Then he fired again. Every round bounced off and tore into the surrounding concrete.
Jeff pulled off his mask, suddenly feeling like he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t know what to do. He’d doomed himself and David. The Spiders couldn’t be killed. They had freaking shields!
Frantic, he reached for the bag of grenades and pulled out another. It was his last hope. Without hesitation, he pushed the button and launched the grenade from the rooftop.
Then, he pulled himself up and waited for the invisible blast. What came next sent a thrill through his body that made the Jacked pill he’d taken earlier seem like a piece of candy.
The closest three Spiders instantly dropped to the ground, shrieking, their legs thrashing madly at the air.
Jeff joined David at his position and together they watched the other three Spiders crash into the side of a building.
“Shoot them! Shoot them now!” Jeff said. He positioned his rifle on the ledge and opened fire. The bullets tore into the lead Spider’s unprotected flesh. Blue mist burst into the air, peppering the concrete with goo.
He moved on to the next Spider and continued firing.
Seconds later, the last creature groaned and died.
Panting, the two boys glanced over the rooftop at the mess below in awe. “We did it,” Jeff said, his words slow but confident.
“Wow,” David said. He rubbed his shoulder. “This thing hurts when you shoot it.”
Jeff laughed.
They continued to look down at the alien corpses with morbid fascination. Jeff felt satisfied, like he’d just passed the most important test of his life.
“Would dad be proud of us?” David asked.
Jeff hugged his little brother and said, “Yes, bud. Dad would be proud.”
• • •
Jeff couldn’t remember how long they’d been at White Sands. The days and nights continued to tick by, and somehow they continued to survive. Had they been out here five days now? Six days?
He shook his head and pulled up his gas mask for another bite of granola bar. It was the last one he had in his bag. There were still MREs left, but judging by the package, they weren’t going to taste that great. But, what the heck?
He had already torn into the side of the package with his knife when he heard voices. David heard them, too. The boy jumped to his feet and grabbed the ladder to the open hatch. They climbed onto the roof of the hangar and sprinted to the west wall.
Could they really be voices? After all this time?
When they reached the ledge Jeff saw something that he wasn’t sure he would ever see again. Human beings. Two live human beings.
Jeff wanted to jump and shout and scream, but instead he ducked down, out of sight. He reached up and pulled David down with him.
“They could be bad people,” Jeff said.
“But . . .” David started to say. He nodded. “Okay.”
Peeking over the side, Jeff watched one of the soldiers walk into the hangar. Raising a finger to his mask, Jeff said, “Shhhh.” The sound came out muffled and deep.
The boys walked back to the ladder and quietly made their way down into the office. Jeff watched the soldier drop to their knees in the center of the room and let out a wail. “No!”
Waving his brother forward, the boys raced down the staircase to the bottom floor with their rifles drawn. They cautiously approached the person in black body armor. Stepping into the light Jeff caught the soldier’s eyes through their visor. Tears fell down her face.
Jeff turned to David, unsure of what to say. But deep down he knew they were finally leaving White Sands—that they were finally going somewhere safe.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NICHOLAS SANSBURY SMITH is the author of several post-apocalyptic books and short stories. He worked for the State of Iowa for nearly ten years before switching careers to focus on his one true passion—writing. When he isn’t daydreaming about the apocalypse, he’s likely racing in triathlons around the Midwest. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with his family and several rescued animals.
For more info, visit him at: www.nicholassansbury.com.
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ALSO BY NICHOLAS SANSBURY SMITH
ORBS SERIES
Orbs
Orbs II: Stranded
Orbs III: Redemption
Solar Storms
White Sands
THE EXTINCTION CYCLE SERIES
Extinction Horizon
Extinction Edge (March 2015)
Extinction Age (Fall 2015)
THE TISSIAN CHRONICLES
The Biomass Revolution
Squad 19
A Royal Knight
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
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First Simon451 ebook edition February 2015
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