by Jason Brant
The colonel and sergeant rummaged through the pockets of the dead men, finding keys to their cuffs and liberating their hands. They discussed what they would do next, torn between running or staying and fighting the system. After freeing themselves, they sat against the wheel of the SUV.
McKenzie was white as a sheet. He never once complained.
Aaron and Stephanie sat together, arms entangled, whispering reassurances to each other. Stephanie’s face continued to bleed, though it had slowed. The bullet hole in Aaron’s side looked ugly, but he refused to let anyone fuss over him. Most of the color had drained from his skin.
Molly slept at Christy’s side, one of her front paws draped across her lap.
Christy watched her shadow in silence, letting the tears run freely down her cheeks and nose. She stared at the shadow, expecting it to move. Would she be afraid of dark places for the rest of her life?
Despite her fear, she felt an incredible sorrow that she would never be able to explain to anyone. Only those sitting by her now could even fathom what she’d witnessed.
What would the aftermath be?
Stephanie and Aaron were still in high school. Who would care for them?
How would the world react to this tragedy?
How would Christy react to it? Her mind was forever scarred.
Underneath her grief, she felt a hardening. What they had done to her was beyond words. Everything she’d ever cared for was gone, stripped away by an unspeakable evil. More than anything she wanted payback.
Wanted to return the favor.
The drone of engines came from off in the distance.
“Things are going to get really ugly,” Colonel McKenzie told them. He shook uncontrollably, but kept his eyes locked on Christy’s. “Heads are going to roll over this. Stick together, no matter what you do. They’ll try to tear you apart, call you liars, and smear your names. Don’t let them. Speak to the press. Tell them everything. The more out in the open you are with this, the harder it will be for the government to silence you.”
“What’s going to happen to you?” Christy asked. They had killed several federal agents of some kind.
“It doesn’t matter,” Miles said. “Just tell your story.”
“People need to understand what happened here. Now we know why we’re afraid of the dark. We know that we aren’t alone – that somewhere out there are things beyond our comprehension. And they’re dangerous.” McKenzie leaned his head back and looked to the sky. “People need to know.”
Dozens of helicopters appeared on the horizon. Sunlight reflected off the windshields of oncoming vehicles.
Christy stood on weary legs as the first chopper touched down on the road. It was from a news station out of Baltimore. Military birds followed it. How the tiny news crew had managed to get here at all was a mystery to her, but she was glad for it. This had to be designated as restricted air space by now. They were lucky they hadn’t been shot down.
A reporter hopped out first, adjusting his tie and trying to straighten his hair despite the helicopter rotors fighting against him. His cameraman followed, already squinting into the viewfinder.
The reporter jogged to Christy, microphone in hand, still struggling with his hair. He started speaking into the mic with an annoying radio-style voice.
“This is James Walton reporting live from inside of the previously untenable city of Aberdeen. We’ve found a small group of people inside the radius where the dark cloud had been. Ma’am, can you tell us what’s happened here?”
He thrust the microphone in Christy’s face.
Christy wiped at her eyes and stared into the lens of the camera.
“Let me tell you about a brave man named Walter.”
*****
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Did you love The Dark? Then you should read Devoured by Jason Brant!
Life isn’t kind to Lance York. A full-time job has eluded him for years, his wife loathes the sight of him, his bank accounts are empty, and his wealthy father-in-law revels in his failures.
After he lunges in front of a car to save a sick and disoriented woman, Lance awakens in a quarantined hospital. A devastating plague is spreading worldwide, driving those infected with it insane. Their bodies begin to mutate into horrors that have haunted mankind’s nightmares for centuries.
The world descends into chaos as death holds sway in the streets.
With the help of an unlikely ally, Lance must navigate through the collapsing city of Pittsburgh, striving to escape the madness of the Apocalypse that unfolds around them.
Read more at Jason Brant’s site.
Also by Jason Brant
The Hunger
Devoured
Consumed
West of Hell
Gehenna (FREE)
Tartarus
Sheol
West of Hell Omnibus Edition
Standalone
The Dark
The Gate
Echoes
3 Supernatural Thrillers
Apocalypse Pack
Watch for more at Jason Brant’s site.
About the Author
Jason Brant is the author of thrillers and horror novels. His works include Devoured, The Gate, The Dark, the West of Hell series, and multiple novellas and short stories.
A job led him from the mountains of western Pennsylvania to the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. For a little over half a decade, he held the position of Digital Forensics Analyst for the Department of Defense. He escaped that post to write novels, watch movies, and drink microbrews.
Jason Brant’s site
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