Barrels of chemicals were stacked in neat rows to his right. Pipes of every size ran from the far wall across the ceiling above his head and back into the laboratory. To his immediate left, he spotted several stacks of LPG tanks.
Jack ejected his spent magazine and inserted a fresh one. “Boss, Yalonda. Give us a hand with these.” He pointed to the orange chemical barrels.
Grunting with the exertion, they rolled the barrels in front of the door. Jack sucked in a couple of breaths. He couldn’t believe that he was still going. He hadn’t had more than an hour’s sleep since the day before yesterday.
I’m running on fumes.
Dee grasped his hand, her touch centering him and clearing his tired mind.
The door rattled and groaned under the weight of the Variants slamming into it.
Jack shook his head. “Stay alert, everyone.”
He glanced up at the last door. Beyond it lay the back entrance that led into the old mine tunnel and finally out to the Karangahake Gorge. It was a stretch, but having been here before, he knew the path, knew its dangers and knew the threat that lay outside.
Ken and Yalonda stepped over, with Boss holding Aroha’s hand close behind. Max, forever the faithful dog, nuzzled his hand.
Jack grinned at the sight of the ragtag group. Survivors. Fighting until they drew their last breaths. The remaining freed prisoners huddled by the far door, the shooter and the little girl crouched next to them. He made a mental note to question the shooter about who he was and where the hell he’d come from. He searched out Dee’s eyes. She looked as exhausted as he felt.
“How far is this Pa, Jack?” Ken asked, breaking him out from his thoughts.
“Two, three clicks at the most. Tough terrain, though.”
“I don’t think many will make that. What about calling in the cavalry?”
Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at Boss.
Boss shrugged his shoulders and groaned. “I’ll try. We’re how far under the mountain, though?” He sighed and pulled the radio from his pack.
Jack ignored him and turned his attention back to Ken and the others. He had an idea forming. A way to stop the Variants running them down, a way to give them a chance to reach safety.
He let out a breath to focus. “We have to destroy this place. Burn it to the ground. Crush the evil bastards.”
Dee, Yalonda and Ken nodded in agreement.
He pointed at the LPG tanks. “Using those.”
“What about all these chemicals?” Dee said. “We don’t want to cause an ecological disaster to this area. Hone and his people live here.”
“We can blow the tunnel entrance with this,” Yalonda said, holding up a couple of bricks of C4.
Jack and Dee both nodded, and a smile escaped Jack’s lips.
Ken held out his hand and took one of the bricks off Yalonda, weighing it. Jack watched him as he looked around the room. “Any of you know much about LPG gas?” Ken asked.
“Just that it goes Kaboom!” Jack replied, grinning.
Ken moved to the door that the Variants were still hurling themselves against. Jack had shut the sound out.
“What are you thinking, Ken?”
“We place a brick here and set the timer for three minutes, and place one in the tunnel for ten seconds earlier. Should give us enough time to get everyone out and seal the cave before the main explosion.”
Jack rubbed the stubble on his chin and glanced at Yalonda and Dee for confirmation. They nodded. “Let’s do it,” he said.
With a plan decided, everyone set about their tasks. Yalonda and Ken rigged up the C4 with timers and placed them in position. Jack and Dee rolled the LPG tanks over and lined them up against the entrance wall. He spotted valves on the gas pipes and checked that they were all open.
The more Kaboom! fuel the better.
A blood-curdling shriek cut through the room. Jack snapped up his AR-15 and searched the room for the source. Slithering out of an air vent high up, the Variant shrieked again. Jack noticed its eyes were blood red, and even from this distance he could see its white skin had turned blotchy with bruises. It struggled to squeeze through the small opening.
Max barked, growled and ran around, searching for a way up to the monster. Jack whistled and the dog barked once more before returning to his side, eyes still trained on the beast.
The shooter yelled something inaudible at the Variant, screaming as he threw his rifle. It whistled through the air and clanged harmlessly off a pipe. He rushed for the outer door and, before Jack could shout a warning, punched in the code and swung it open.
Jack stared in horror at the figure of the man in a green suit standing in the tunnel beyond. Time slowed down around him. He saw the knife in Green Suit’s hand and watched him thrust it into the shooter’s stomach. The girl screamed and ran back to the Renegades.
White-skinned Variants streamed around Green Suit, who thrust the knife again into the shooter. Jack finally snapped from his trance and pushed off in a sprint, his calf muscles burning with every step. He reached the girl just as a Variant loomed over her. He scooped her up in one hand and sliced the beast with his red-handled machete. His aim was true and the blade cut deep into its chest, spilling gooey blood. The creature howled at Jack and slashed at him with its claws.
Max ran in and latched on to the Variant’s leg, tearing the papery flesh on its ankle. The white beast opened its sucker mouth, expelling a putrid stench that made Jack gag. He shoved the Glock in its open mouth and pulled the trigger.
A flash of green flew past Jack. Dee was swinging her katana, slicing through any screeching beast as they tried to reach the shooter and the girl. His eyes met hers and he gave her a quick nod.
Variant bodies began to pile up in the doorway as the Renegades fired into the screeching mass. Amidst the chaos, Jack gawked at the sight of the shooter crawling amongst all the beasts, his life-blood spilling on the floor. Strangely, the Variants were ignoring him.
Jack switched his attention back to the creatures and dropped another one. Searching for more targets, he saw the way was clear. He looked over at Boss. The teenager had both young girls behind him, protecting them from the gnashing mouths of the monsters.
“Renegades! Time to go!”
Jack took point with Dee, Boss and the girls close behind. He turned, searching out Yalonda and Ken. They were fiddling with the timers on the C4.
“Let’s go! C’mon!”
Yalonda glanced up. “Timer’s stuffed.”
“Meaning?”
“The C4 will have to be triggered manually.”
Jack sighed and closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. This whole mission had been one shitty situation after another. It was meant to be a simple recon and retrieval mission. Simpson had sent them off chasing ghosts, resulting in them losing Chang and the staff sergeant himself. They’d been constantly chased by Variants, and were now trying to escape this cursed lab run by some mad scientist.
Jack was mulling over what to do and barely heard the gargled voice of the shooter. He opened his eyes and crouched down next to the man. He had his hands pushed against his stomach. Blood continued to seep through his fingers and drip to the floor. “Dee. See if you can do anything for him.”
The shooter shook his head as she stood over him with her medic bag. “It’s too late for me. He got me good. I can feel it.”
Jack glanced over to the door and the body of the green man slumped on the floor. The knife was sticking out of his neck, right where the jugular would be. “Looks like you got him better.”
The shooter laughed. Specks of blood coughing out. “Give me the detonator. I’ll blow up this place of misery and death. I deserve to go down with it after what I’ve done to survive.”
Jack searched the man’s eyes for a hint of what he was talking about. “What things?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He looked up at Jack. “I’ll gladly give my life so you and humanity have a chance to survive this madness. Better to end
it quickly than bleed out. Every crappy thing I did, I did it for her, you know, my daughter. My Sophie.” The shooter grabbed Jack’s leg. “Can you give her the life I couldn’t.” He gasped, and his eyes found his daughter’s. “Sophie. I love you. I’m sorry for what happened to you. I tried baby. I tried.”
Sophie broke away from Boss and hugged her father, sobbing into his bloody chest.
The man sought Jack’s eyes again. “Please take care of her. And give the army these,” he pleaded, and held out a crinkled photograph and some dog tags. Jack grimaced and looked at the photo. He knew it without looking. Chang had proudly shown it to everyone. His wife and daughter, smiling back at the camera.
“I will… Sorry, I don’t know your name?”
“Derek. It’s Derek,” he gasped, and his body shuddered.
Jack reached out and took the detonator off Yalonda, then handed it to Derek.
Howls and shrieks reverberated around the room. Jack snapped his head up, searching for the beasts. Spotting no targets, he returned his attention to the dying man. “Count to one hundred and flick this switch before pressing the button. Got it?”
Derek nodded, tears streaming down his face. A thud sounded from the hallway door, and it groaned in its hinges.
“Jack, we have to go!” Dee called out. She picked up Sophie, and the girl wrapped her legs around her. Jack smiled at Derek and patted his shoulder.
“We’ll remember you on ANZAC Day, and during Matariki.”
With one last look at the man he was leaving behind, Jack turned and led the Renegades out of the cursed lab with its abominations and its halls of death.
Water splashed over his boots as he ran down the tunnel, his knees protesting with every impact on the rocky ground. He could hear the thumps of boots behind him. The sound always comforted him. He glanced back to see the remaining prisoners trudging in the middle. Jack vowed to do the best he could to get them all to safety.
The sun glowed bright as the Renegades exited the mine. Jack took a deep breath, savouring the fresh air the bush provided. He picked up scents of lemonwood and beech, of totara and rimu. Of peat and decaying leaves. He loved that smell and never grew tired of it. Glancing at his watch, he frowned.
Where’s the explosion?
Dee moved up alongside, Sophie still in her arms. Max nuzzled against his legs, his ears flat on his head.
“Did you wire the C4 up properly?” Jack asked, looking at Yalonda and Ken.
“Are you questioning my Kaboom! ability?” Yalonda shot back, annoyance in her voice.
A low rumble rolled out like thunder, followed by an ear-splitting kaboom. Jack caught Dee, Sophie and Max in a hug, protecting them from the shockwave as it blew dirt and debris out into the bush. Boss and Ken had moved the prisoners down the track and away from the entrance, but the noise still caused them to clamp their hands over their ears.
Jack shook his head, trying to shake away the ringing. As his ears cleared, the sound of a grizzly voice crackled over his radio.
“…Renegade 1, do you receive? Over.”
He grinned and thumbed his radio. “Captain? Receiving. Over.”
“Jack? Is that you?”
He smiled at his wife holding the little girl hugged to her. “Affirmative. Over.”
“You lucky bastards! It’s so good to hear your voice. We’ve been searching for you for hours.”
“We met a little resistance from some locals, but we retrieved the logbook. Over.”
“Exemplary, Jack. Can you get to the summit? We can land. Hurry. You have multiple hostiles incoming. Over.”
“On our way. Wilco. Out.”
Jack looked around at the exhausted Renegades, the two frightened girls and the men and women who had been held captive. He gritted his teeth and lifted up his cap, wiping his brow before turning to face the gathered survivors.
— 27 —
The beautiful New Zealand bush filled with greens, blacks and browns whipped past Dee as she ran up the muddy track. Before the world turned to shit, she would have ambled along at a steady pace, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the birdsong that filled these valleys.
Not today. Today the sounds of the Variants’ shrieks and howls filled the landscape. Today the sound of a chopper’s blades thumped through the air, the constant rattling crack of its guns firing as the soldiers on board did everything they could to give her and the rest of the Renegades a chance to live another day. Today she was running for her life again. Her muscles protested with every step. The young girl she clasped to her chest sobbed quietly at the loss of her father.
Dee recognised this part of the track from a previous hike with Jack. She knew the turnoff for the summit was close. And, thankfully, the summit was only ten minutes’ walk away after that. But none of that would matter if they couldn’t survive the next fifteen minutes or so. Dee kept glancing over her shoulder, waiting for the pale skins of the Variants from the complex to cross her vision. When they had blown the tunnel and maintenance room, they’d known it was only going to buy them some time. She wished the explosion had blown the whole lab to smithereens.
“Keep moving!” she yelled, more to encourage herself than anyone else.
“Right behind you, sister!” Yalonda answered.
A deep baritone bellow sounded out from farther down the valley. Dee shuddered. She glanced at Jack; he’d heard it too, and she knew what he was thinking. That bellow belonged to the Alpha they’d called Hellboy after the comic of the same name. It was a massive Variant, easily standing seven feet tall, with one of his arms and hands deformed into an appendage that looked like a club.
They had escaped him once already, with help from Hone and his Maori warriors.
Dee looked around at her comrades. She had fought beside them, bled beside them, slept beside them. Gritting her teeth, she urged her weary leg muscles on. The howls of the Variants grew louder on both sides of the track.
Jack skidded to a stop at the turnoff sign and swivelled, shouldering his rifle.
“C’mon, run! Renegades, give them cover. Let’s show these bastards whose land this is.”
Dee caught up to Boss and one of the Maori warriors. “Boss, take Sophie and Aroha. Run for the top.” She looked back at the SAS soldier, Major Ken Hinds. “Give your spare rifle and some ammo to Ken. You must protect the girls, okay, Boss?” He had picked up Derek’s fallen rifle. Dee had recognised it as Chang’s.
“I will. Hurry.” Boss handed the M4 to Ken, who gratefully accepted it and quickly changed out the magazine for a full one.
Dee watched Boss sprint up the track with the four Maori warriors jogging behind. One of them picked up Sophie and another scooped up Aroha.
She took a couple of deep breaths and nudged Jack on the arm. “I’m down to two magazines.”
“Three.”
Dee glanced back down the mountain path, searching for the beasts she knew were stalking them. The sounds of them bundling through the undergrowth echoed around the four soldiers.
“Major. Any suggestions?” Dee asked, the words coming out in a choke. She was shattered and struggling to keep her emotions in check.
“Just one. Don’t die.”
She spluttered out a laugh as she looked at Ken. His face was devoid of expression. She heard Jack and Yalonda chuckling along with her.
“Combat retreat spacings,” Ken continued. “Jack, take point. Guide us up the mountain. Don’t watch us. We’ll cover your back. And get the captain to give covering fire from the chopper. Yalonda and Dee, take left and right. Keep talking. When they come, don’t hesitate. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the Renegades answered.
Dee glanced up at the cloudy sky. The tell-tale whump of rotor blades reverberated around the mountain. She could hear Jack communicating with Ben on his radio as she carefully backed her way up the track, her AR-15 snug against her shoulder. The familiar presence of her katana digging into her back gave her a sense of comfort.
“�
��this is Renegade 1, we are on the south side of Mount Karangahake. We have multiple targets approaching. Ben, old buddy, we could really use some .50 cal. covering fire.”
Dee smiled to herself. Jack couldn’t help but slip in a movie quote even during times like this.
Branches snapped to her left as several smudges of black burst through the undergrowth and scrambled onto the track. Dee lined up a Variant and put a single shot into its chest. The creature stumbled and regained its footing. She fired again, this time scoring a perfect headshot. She swung the rifle to the next beast and quickly dropped it. With the vanguard down, the Renegades broke into a jog.
Dee struggled to find purchase on the clay track as she slipped upwards a few metres at a time.
The baritone bellow sounded again over the rugged Kaimais, sending birds shrieking into the sky. High-pitched howls answered it, coming from below and off to both sides of the track. The trees and shrubs shook before separating and spewing out the tsunami of rabid beasts.
Dee groaned at the sheer number of them. Her mind flashed back to the mountain she had escaped from with Jack, Boss, Ben and George all those months ago. A different Alpha now, but the same hunger-fuelled pursuit.
“Run!” screamed Ken.
Dee didn’t need to be told twice. With a quick glance skyward, she prayed for Ben to hurry up, and sprinted.
After a couple hundred metres, she skidded around a corner and squeezed her body through a narrow gap between two huge slabs of granite that towered above her. Jack had stopped on the other side and was grinning at her. Ken and Yalonda jostled through after her.
“Go! What are you waiting for?” yelled Yalonda.
“300,” Jack said, raising his carbine and pointing it at the fast-approaching Variant horde. Dee could clearly see the imposing figure of the Alpha lumbering up towards them.
Extinction New Zealand Box Set | Books 1-3 Page 56