by R. D. Brady
A thought crossed her mind and she went still. No. I couldn’t. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that as crazy and reckless as it was, right now, it was probably their only option. She looked around the group.
“Hey, guys? I think I’ve got an idea.”
Chapter Eighty-Two
Maeve crept quietly down the hall of the second sublevel. The gray tile on the walls and floor seemed so foreboding that Maeve shivered.
It’s fine. This will work.
Alvie was just ahead of her. Chris walked next to her. “You don’t have to do this,” he said.
“It was my idea.”
“Yeah, but Maeve—”
She shook her head. “No. This is the only way.”
Greg, Leslie, and the triplets were upstairs, hunkered down in the front foyer once again behind the main desk. Leslie promised to protect them the best she could. But none of them had any illusions about their abilities to hold off against the base’s security. It would be a bloodbath. Which brought them to their current situation. Alvie had indicated there was a large group of aliens located somewhere on this floor. And that’s exactly where they were heading.
Ahead, Alvie stopped at the corner. He looked back at Maeve and nodded. Beyond him, Maeve could hear pounding and screaming—and something that could only be described as a squelch. Heart hammering, she took a steeling breath and patted the handgun in the holster at her side she had taken from a downed security officer down the hall.
Chris grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Here we go.”
As one, they all stepped around the corner, lining up across the opening of what had once been a cafeteria. Maeve’s eyes widened. There were at least two dozen aliens in the large room beyond consisting of seven different species, each one slightly more horrifying than the next. A few human bodies lay crumpled on the ground. One hung from a light, another was sprawled over a counter. Maeve swallowed hard.
The three blue gorillas, each standing at least six feet tall in the back of the room, caught sight of them first and let out a yell. But that wasn’t enough.
Maeve put her fingers in her mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle.
“That’s right, boys, here we are,” Chris yelled.
Each alien went still for a moment and then turned toward them. Incisors, long tongues, sucker-type mouths all seemed to open and close in anticipation of their next meal or just their next kill.
And Maeve’s heart pounded even harder.
“Well, I’d say that did it. Let’s go.” Chris grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Alvie backed up as well. And then they were full-out sprinting down the hall the way they had come.
Maeve focused on the entrance to the stairwell at the other end of the hall, three hundred feet away. Behind her, she could hear the alien horde following them. It wasn’t just footfalls. There were yells and slurps, and even a scraping sound like nails over a chalkboard. She knew she should keep her focus ahead, but the sounds behind her were too unbelievable for her not to look.
And she wished she hadn’t. The blue gorillas pounded down the hall, their large forearms punching into the ground with each stride. Behind them, every nightmarish vision she had ever had came to life, sliding, oozing, jumping, and running toward Maeve, Chris, and Alvie. Another alien raced along the hallway walls, it’s long talons cutting into the walls. It looked like a crocodile except that it’s arms and legs were longer, more humanoid in appearance.
But perhaps worst of all was the alien on the ceiling. It was a blob with no definitive shape as it hung upside down, matching the speed of the aliens on the ground below it.
“Oh god.” Maeve legs trembled and she stumbled. But Chris grabbed her arm, keeping her on her feet. Alvie launched himself ahead into the stairwell. Maeve and Chris quickly followed him in while Maeve prayed no unfriendlies had made their way up the stairwell since they had been here.
Blessedly the stairwell appeared empty. Maeve hit the stairs and her thighs screamed in protest. She pushed past the ache, forcing herself not to slow down but to actually speed up. She’d reached the landing between floors when the first alien hit the doorway. The blue gorilla slammed into it, too large to fit through straight on. He was yanked from the opening and the alien from the ceiling oozed through.
Alvie was already at the first-floor landing. He yanked open the door and disappeared through. Maeve reached the door as the alien from the ceiling oozed up the side of the stairwell.
“Shit.” Chris pushed Maeve through the doorway as the thing leapt for them. Alvie disappeared behind the front desk as Maeve and Chris burst into the foyer. Chris pulled Maeve away from the desk toward the other side of the room as the blob burst out behind them. He pulled his sidearm and started firing at the front window—one of the few that hadn’t been broken in the original barrage. The thing oozed up the side of the wall and then the ceiling, racing toward them.
Ahead of them, the glass was a spider web of cracks but it held. There was no other exit.
“Chris?” Maeve yelled as she sprinted forward, not sure what the hell the plan was.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as the blob raced closer, almost on top of them. Chris grabbed Maeve, wrapped his arms around her, and dove through the window, turning so his back hit first. Maeve screamed as glass shattered around them, tucking her head into Chris’s chest, crushing her eyes closed. They hit the ground and Chris rolled, keeping Maeve protected in his arms.
Maeve screamed as gunfire pierced the ground around them. Then the blob oozed from the window and the gunfire shifted toward it instead.
Chris pulled Maeve behind a parked car. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, trembling and trying to catch her breath. “What about—”
Alvie burst through the front door and Maeve’s heart nearly stopped as gunfire hit the doorway behind him and the ground next to him. But Alvie moved as if he knew exactly where each shot was going to land.
And then all hell broke loose as the rest of the alien horde burst through the door behind him. Nightmare after nightmare poured through the door, emptying onto the grounds.
“Get under the car!” Chris yelled.
Maeve squirmed in next to him but kept her eyes on Alvie as he slid over the hood of another car and disappeared from view.
Run, Alvie, run.
Chapter Eighty-Three
The gunfire by the old headquarters sounded like a fourth of July celebration. If Mr. Smith was right, that would be Dr. Leander attempting to escape. He smiled, listening to the barrage of gunfire.
Don’t think they’ll be getting by that.
Henning ran along a sidewalk through the empty base. In his ten years working here, he’d never seen the place like this. He’d switched into camo gear. Now for anyone looking, he was one of the dozens of camo guys, who were yet another layer of protection for the base. The camo dudes had been hired years back to secure the hills surrounding the base. Technically they had no legal authority and were supposed to detain anyone they caught crossing into 51 territory, but Henning never let that stop him from giving any would-be trespassers a good scare.
But it was their job to make sure that nothing escaped or entered the base. Henning had actually been a member of the camo dudes until he’d been bumped up to inside security when the new projects had been brought in. And he realized that he was better suited to the perimeter of the base. Having to deal with the eggheads like that know-it-all Dr. Leander just pissed him off.
And he nearly let her ruin his career here. But with Mr. Smith backing him, he knew he’d get placed somewhere else where they’d appreciate all his hard work. In fact, most of the camo dudes had been pulling double duty while the base hired more security.
Henning ducked into the storage building at the end of the row and quickly ran up the metal stairs. He pushed through the door leading to the roof and made his way to the corner. He was down the block from the old headquarters, ground zero for the out
break. Placing his rifle on the ledge, he knelt down, searching through the scope for his quarry.
Come on, where are you?
He was hoping Leander showed herself first. He’d be more than happy to take her down. A man crossed his scope and disappeared out of it. Chris. Henning had no issue with him and honestly he’d rather not shoot the man. But the rest of them? They were fair game.
He saw Leander’s familiar dark hair and smiled. He adjusted his grip, but she was blocked by a truck. Damn it. He scanned, looking for a shot and finally found one—wide open.
Sorry about this, he thought right before he pulled the trigger.
Chapter Eighty-Four
Greg felt like his heart was going to either pound out of his chest or bump up through his throat and out of his mouth. When the alien horde had torn out of the stairwell after Chris and Maeve, he’d known it was the end.
But as soon as the herd had started to slow and investigate the foyer, Alvie had leaped from his hiding spot and sprinted for the door, drawing them away.
Greg hugged the three triplets to him as the horde passed. And he tried not to vomit as he saw two climb along the ceiling. But none of them glanced toward the desk—they were all too focused on Alvie.
Alvie burst through the front door and gunfire rang out.
God damn it. Greg scrunched lower. His anger at the people outside grew, right along with his respect for Alvie. Alvie was leading them away so the rest of them had a chance to live. He was putting his life on the line with death facing him from both the front and the back.
And then all hell truly broke loose as the alien horde burst through the front of the building. Gunfire, snarls, rips, screams—it seemed to go on forever. But then it quieted as the horde moved farther away into the base. Greg tried not to think about what that meant. Had they killed all the soldiers who’d been waiting outside the door? He knew he should feel bad about that but seeing as those same soldiers had tried to kill him not that long ago, he couldn’t work up any sympathy.
“Leslie?” he whispered. She shook her head, listening. Greg could only hear sounds in the distance, but his mind still imagined the sound of the horde rushing past and he couldn’t seem to stop shaking. And then to have their own people shooting at them—Greg didn’t know what the hell to think about that except, What the fuck?
He glanced back at Leslie, who just gave him a confident nod in return. And her confidence took the edge off some of his own panic. Honestly, if she wasn’t here, he was sure he would be in a puddle on the ground—a puddle of either his own pee or blood but a puddle nonetheless. But Leslie kept him going, kept him safe.
“Time to go,” Leslie said.
Greg nodded, getting to his feet with some difficulty. “Okay, one of you scurry around to my back, okay?”
He was surprised when Crackle did exactly that. These guys were smart. He held Pop and Snap securely to his chest. “Can you manage all three?” Leslie asked.
“Yeah, and I prefer you to just worry about shooting somebody.” He paused. “Um, have you changed your mind about that whole not shooting at humans thing?”
Leslie glared toward the front of the building. “Oh, yeah. Now come on. Stay low.” She headed toward the same window that Chris and Maeve had burst through.
Greg tried to stay low, but with two aliens attached to his chest and another on his back, when he bent down he almost lost his balance. So he had to settle for hustling quickly across the floor with his shoulders hunched.
Leslie peered out the window. “Okay. We’re good. Head for that truck over there and I’ll cover you.”
Greg peered out. “Um, you sure?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. Okay?”
Greg looked into her eyes and nodded. “Okay.” He let out a breath as Leslie counted down. “3-2-1, go.” Greg stepped over the windowsill, glass crunching under his feet. And then he was sprinting across the open space, waiting for the sound of a bullet to tear through the silence. But nothing happened. He reached the truck panting, and seconds later, Leslie was at his side.
“You guys good?” Chris called from the other side of the street.
“We’re good,” Leslie said.
“We’re heading east,” Chris yelled. “We’ll cover you as you cross to us.”
“Got it.” Leslie grabbed Greg’s arm. “Ready?”
He nodded, his mouth too dry to work up any words.
“Let’s go.” Leslie pulled him to his feet. They ran across the open space. Halfway across, Snap began to get agitated, gripping Greg’s shirt. He patted her back. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, little buddy. Calm down.”
But Snap just grew even more agitated, struggling to get out of Greg’s arms.
“Greg. Keep her quiet,” Leslie hissed.
“I’m trying, but something’s wrong.”
Snap wrenched herself from Greg’s arm, leaping onto his shoulder.
“Quit fooling around,” Leslie ordered.
“I’m not.” Greg tried to grab Snap but she leapt off his shoulder, slamming both her feet into Leslie’s shoulders.
With a yell, Leslie crashed to the ground just as a gunshot rang out.
Chapter Eighty-Five
“Get down!” Chris yelled as the shot rang out. More bullets chased Greg, who dove over a bench and then crawled underneath it. Pop and Crackle leapt from Greg and managed to reach Alvie and Maeve. Maeve grabbed them and scurried behind a truck.
Leslie crawled behind a planter, one hand to her chest and the other wrapped around Snap.
Chris scanned the buildings, looking for where the shots had come from. But they’d gone silent.
“Leslie?” Chris yelled.
“I’m good. We’re good.”
“Greg?”
He groaned. “Bruised but not shot.”
“Maeve?”
“We’re good,” she called out, a tremor in her voice.
Chris was behind a building and none of the shots had been aimed at him, which meant he was most likely out of the sniper’s range. He was pretty sure it had come from one of three buildings down the way.
“You guys sit tight. I’m going to find the sniper.”
“We’re splitting up?” Maeve asked.
“Just for now. You guys sit tight,” Chris said, hoping he wasn’t lying.
Chapter Eighty-Six
Maeve watched in fear as Chris disappeared from the side of the building. Alvie reached over and touched her cheek. She nodded at him. “He’ll be back. He’s going to find the shooter.”
Alvie stared into her eyes and Maeve felt the fear he too had for Chris.
Maeve’s head whipped to the side as Greg crawled in next to them.
“Jesus, Greg, give me a heart attack why don’t you?”
Sweat lined Greg’s brow. “Sorry, but my bench with the slats wasn’t feeling too secure.”
“Where’s Snap?”
“With Leslie.”
Greg peeked out and Maeve could see Leslie. She pointed to them and then behind them. Greg glanced over and saw a building fifty feet away. He looked back at Leslie and shook his head. She nodded, glaring at him.
He turned to Maeve. “Uh, I think Leslie wants us to head over there.”
Maeve let out a breath, getting into a crouch, holding Crackle and Pop to her chest. She swallowed down her fear. “Okay. Alvie, we’re heading there, okay?”
Alvie nodded.
“Get ready,” Maeve said. Greg crouched low on his feet. Leslie counted down to three with her fingers and then leaned up with her weapon, aimed in the direction the shots had come. Maeve sprinted forward, Alvie at her side.
Behind her, Greg cursed as he stumbled, but he righted himself and reached the building just after them. No gunfire rang out.
“Alvie, take these guys,” Maeve said, handing over Pop and Crackle. She would have preferred to hand them to Greg, but he was looking awfully pale. She pulled out her handgun, wishing it was a rifle. She was a lousy shot with a handgun
, and besides, they didn’t exactly have the distance. But it was the best cover she could offer Leslie and Snap.
She met Leslie’s gaze and gave her a nod. Leslie burst from her cover, Snap tucked into her chest. She sprinted for them, and still no gunfire rang out.
As she reached their side, she flattened herself against the building. “You guys okay?”
“Yeah. You?” Maeve asked.
Leslie nodded toward Snap. “Thanks to her.”
Maeve frowned. “What do you mean?”
“That first gunshot—it would have hit me. But this one, she knocked me down. I’m pretty sure she bruised my sternum but it’s better than the alternative.”
Maeve looked at Snap, whose little arms were wrapped around Leslie’s neck, her eyes closed. “Is she okay?”
Leslie nodded, absentmindedly rubbing Snap’s back. “Yeah. Just scared.”
“I’ll take her,” Maeve said, reaching out. And she didn’t miss the look of thanks Leslie gave the little one. Apparently Snap had just won Leslie over to their side.
Greg ran his hand over Snap’s back. “It’s okay, little gal. No one’s shooting us. So as of right this moment, there’s not anything to be scared of,” he said quietly.
“Oh I cannot believe you just jinxed us like that,” Leslie groaned.
Greg gave her a small laugh. “You can’t possibly think—”
A thump sounded behind them. And all of them turned to see an alien with the scales and mouth of a crocodile on top of an incredibly muscular body land on top of the truck seventy feet away.
Greg’s mouth fell open with a groan. “Oh crap. It’s Hank.”
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Greg stared at Hank in disbelief. How had he found them?
Leslie opened fire. Maeve was firing as well as she walked backward, Snap on her back. “Who the hell is Hank?”
“He’s my project,” Greg said as he backed up.