The Colony

by Kathleen Groger

  “What’s wrong?” Her voice screeched higher.

  “Just hurry.”

  I stared out the window waiting for them. Their footfalls thundered up the escalator.

  “What’s going on?”

  “There’s a mall out there.” I pointed to the window.

  “So?”

  The Bug rattled in my backpack.

  Adam reached the top with the binoculars dangling from his hands. I ripped them from his grip. With trembling hands, I held them up and adjusted the knobs.

  It felt like an elephant leapt onto my chest and all the air rushed out through my mouth. “Oh, God, no.”

  18

  I twisted the knob on the binoculars. The black goo came into clear focus. Too clear. The substance puffed out, then sucked back to the rooftop as if it was inhaling and exhaling. Breathing. Alive.

  “They’re out there.”

  A rattling noise erupted from my bag. I opened it and took out the jar. The Bug scuttled back and forth, trying to climb up the sides of the plastic container. He was failing. My stomach clenched at the sight of his struggles. He had to know others were around. He could sense it somehow.

  Ribbons of terror tangled in my veins. Oh, no. Were they able to sense him? Had I sealed our fates by bringing a damn homing device for the Raspers? I bit my cheek so hard, I tasted blood in my mouth. Maybe I should kill it. No, they would hear the gunshot.

  “Why is it making that noise?”

  “I think it knows Raspers are close by.” The wavering of my voice emphasized my worry. I brought up the binoculars and zoomed back in at the mall.

  “Let me see,” Adam said in a stern voice I hadn’t heard him use before.

  “Hang on.” Something moved at the entrance. I adjusted the focus. Figures. People. Raspers. Yellow-skinned, sunglass-wearing Raspers. I dropped the binoculars to the floor. “We gotta go. They’re coming.”

  I shoved the Bug back in my bag and took off for the escalator.

  “Val, wait,” Adam said.

  I stopped and turned. “What?”

  “How many are there?”

  Megan picked up the binoculars and looked out the window. “I see two. We can shoot them easy enough.”

  “That will draw out more. Remember how many came out at the seminary? We need a plan.” Adam pulled out his gun.

  The Bug squealed louder.

  “Shut up.” Adam yelled, but it didn’t stop.

  Megan shrugged. “I can stay here and be a look out if you guys want to go out with guns blazing.”

  “Maybe. But—”

  “What the hell are we going to do? They’re getting closer.” Megan’s voice climbed higher and higher.

  I snapped my fingers. “We need a diversion.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, maybe—” My bag jumped and thumped like it was full of popcorn.

  A shadow passed over the store’s skylight. “God, what was that?” Megan’s eyes widened further.

  We all looked up, but there wasn’t anything there. Goose bumps marred my skin. “Hopefully a bird and not more Bugs.”

  “We need to see what’s happening out front.” Adam took out his radio. “Does yours still work?”

  I snatched Megan’s from my screeching bag and turned it on. Static squawked. “Yes.”

  “Megan, take mine. Let us know if more come out.” Adam tossed her the radio.

  Megan nodded and bit her bottom lip. “Okay.”

  Adam and I ran down the escalator turned stairs to the first floor.

  “What about a remote control vehicle or something? We could send it out and the Raspers would go after it,” Adam said.

  “Even if there’s a remote control car in here, the battery wouldn’t be charged.”

  “Good point. What else could we use?” Adam turned to the vehicle section. “The ATVs. We left gas in three of them. We could rig one up with a mannequin and send it out the back door. Then we race out the front and escape in the truck.”

  I peeked out the front window. Nothing. “It might work.” I radioed Megan and told her the plan while Adam used a boat tow-rope to strap a mannequin dressed in camouflage to a four-wheeler.

  “How’s it going to go?”

  “I strapped a weight to the gas pedal. Once we turn it on, it will take off. At least that’s the plan.”

  “Hope it works.”

  “Me too, because once we open the door, our fly is down.”

  “Nice analogy.”

  Adam grinned, his dimples framing his mouth. “Thanks.”

  We pushed the ATV to the store’s back door. “What’s happening outside?” I asked Megan on the radio.

  “The original two are on the street, lurking around. I haven’t seen any more—wait, hang on, there’s more. Damn. I don’t know where they came from. There has to be at least twenty.”

  “Okay, get down here. We’re all set.”

  The Bug squealed louder. The damn thing knew the Raspers were out there. We positioned the ATV right by the loading dock door.

  My radio squawked. “Guys, go ahead, send it out. There are more Raspers coming. I’ll be right there.”

  “Hurry.” My throat tightened. “I hope this works.” I didn’t want to think about the alternative.

  Adam grabbed the door’s chain. “Once the door’s high enough, turn the key, and it should go.”

  “Got it.” I had my right hand on the key and my left clutched my Glock.

  Adam yanked on the chain and it began to open. I held my breath. The door creaked and groaned as it ascended. Almost there. I turned the key. The engine roared to life and the four-wheeler jumped forward, then stopped. Crap. The Bug’s song sliced into my head. I jammed the weight down. Nothing happened. “Move, you bastard.”

  I pushed with every ounce of strength I possessed. That did it. The ATV lurched out under the door. The Raspers swarmed around the vehicle. One came toward the door. I fired. She fell.

  “It’s clear. Let the door go!” I yelled. The dummy flew into the parking lot and bowled over a Rasper.

  Adam released the chain and the clack clack clack of the door dropping grated down my vertebrae. “Let’s go.”

  I gave one last look back. A red-haired Rasper slid under the door. I squeezed off another shot, blasting her in the leg. The Bug screeched and squealed.

  Thwunk.

  The door slammed down on the Rasper and blood squirted, spraying the floor in an abstract image.

  “Come on.” Adam clutched my hand and ripped me from the gory display.

  “Megan, where are you?” I yelled as we ran toward the front entrance.

  “Coming,” she hollered.

  I glanced up to see her grab hold of one of the climbing wall’s safety harness ropes and swing down like she was zip lining. She landed behind us, binoculars dangling around her neck, blonde hair flying out behind her. “What the hell was that?”

  “Fastest way down. Did the dummy work?” Megan’s breaths came fast and her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink.

  “Yeah, but it won’t matter if we don’t get out of here.”

  We stopped at the front, readied our weapons, then after a three count, shoved open the door and ran to the truck. The Bug’s squeal hit a shattering pitch.

  “Raspers!” Megan screamed, fired, and shot one in the head.

  Adam hit another one in the chest.

  I aimed at a white-haired female Rasper who darted around the corner. “Get the truck started. I’ll cover.”

  Megan and Adam jumped into the truck. I fired at a Rasper wearing a business suit. The Bug went berserk, banging and bumping my back. Pain serrated my eardrums.

  “Come on, Val,” Adam yelled from his open window.

  Five more Raspers surged toward the truck. I hit one and jumped inside. Megan reached across me and slammed the door shut. Adam gunned the engine and rammed into two Raspers. The tires rolled over their bodies with a wet thunk. I fired two more rounds out the window, but didn�
�t see if any were direct hits.

  Megan spun around in her seat. “They’re still coming.”

  I reloaded the Glock while she fired out the open back window. The Bug continued its horrid song.

  “Holy hell! There’s a car coming!” Megan yelled.

  “What?” Adam swerved the truck hard to the right, then the left, just missing a huge hole in the road.

  “How many inside?”

  “At least two. Maybe three.”

  I grabbed the shotgun from behind the seat, setting it next to me. “What do you think the range is on this?”

  Zzzurmp.

  “What the frick was that?” Adam cut the wheel hard to the left again. I smashed into Megan.

  “They’re armed. They’re shooting at us!” Megan shrieked. “Duck!”

  The Bug’s noise made it almost impossible to communicate.

  “Shut that damn thing up.”

  “If they want the damn Bug, then give it to them. Throw it out the window.”

  “No.” I couldn’t do that. “I have an idea. Cover me.” I holstered the Glock and climbed out the small back window into the bed of the truck.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Get down.” I shouted at Megan. Another bullet ripped into the cab of the truck. “Shoot out of the passenger window when I tell you to.”

  I pushed aside the sleeping bags and clamped my hand down on the propane tanks.

  “Val, look out.”

  I dropped down and slammed my forehead off a case of water. Adam turned to the right. A box shifted and fell onto my ankle. Pain soared through my lower leg. Another bullet lodged into the side panel of the truck. I needed to hurry. Their aim was improving.

  I clutched one tank with both hands and hurled it at the car. The tank bounced on the road and rolled toward the car.

  “Shoot the tanks!” I yelled to Megan, and launched the second one.

  Gunshots exploded. Megan shooting, the Raspers shooting. A spray of bullets tore through the boxes in front of me. Then a burst of heat and a whoosh rocked the truck. The propane tanks exploded. I fell backward and scraped my back on something.

  An orange and purple fireball consumed the car, but it kept coming, looking like a demon car roaring out of hell. I sat up and fired my entire clip. It still kept coming.

  Megan wedged the shotgun out the window. “Move over.”

  I tried to make myself as small as possible and covered my ears.

  Boom.

  The Rasper’s car exploded in a burst of white flames. It lifted off the ground, flipped over, and hit the ground with a groan of crumpling metal. The wave of heat knocked me back on my ass.

  Adam hit the brakes with a screech of tires, and the truck stopped.

  Megan wedged herself out the back window. “Val? Val? Val? Are you okay?” Her words were muffled.

  I sat up and rubbed the back of my head. I had a lump the size of a lemon. “Yeah. Nice shooting.” I reached up to give her a high-five. “Adam, nice driving.”

  “Let’s get out of here before any more catch up with us. God, they can drive now. Shit. We’re doomed.”

  The only things that changed during the next few hours were the clock, the trees, and the gas gauge. We had enough food and water to last us until we reached Site R. The gas was another story.

  I turned on the truck’s radio and searched through every FM and AM station. I only found static.

  Adam shot me a quick look. “Did you expect something to have changed?”

  “No.”

  Megan shifted for a more comfortable position. “Do you think we’re going to make it?”

  The spinning of the tires on the pavement was the only sound until I broke the tension.

  I swallowed. “Yes I do.” I sounded a lot more confident than I felt.

  I glanced down at the Bug. Thankfully, it had quieted down after the explosion. I had kept it out of the bag as an alarm. After it settled, it hadn’t moved except to shift its legs once. I picked up the jar and leaned back in my seat. The Bug still didn’t move. I tapped the glass. No response.

  “Can’t you put that damn thing away?” Megan narrowed her eyes at the jar.

  “No. It freaks out if Raspers are near. We need it.”

  “We can hear it just fine if it’s in your bag.” She crossed her arms with an attitude and gave me her back.

  “How much gas do we have left?” I tore my gaze from the jar.

  “Half a tank.”

  I snarled at the Bug, then put the jar in my backpack. “Okay. Okay.” I put it away.

  She spun around. “Good. I never want to see it again. Why do you keep staring at it?”

  Because it knows my name. Because it said its queen wants me. Because it might be an alien. But I didn’t say any of that aloud. She was upset enough as it was, I didn’t need to remind her of my issues. Raspers had killed her family, maybe mine too, but the Rasper colony hadn’t taken a sick interest in her joining them. Just me.

  I shrugged in response to her question. I thought it would be a better option than spouting the truth.

  “Lord, help me, if you pull the jar out again, I’ll throw it out the window.” Megan contorted her delicate face into a grotesque shape.

  “I wasn’t going to. But we can’t just throw it out the window.”

  “Val’s right. We can’t toss it.” Adam said.

  Megan made a harrumph sound, and then crossed her arms across her chest.

  “We need to kill it.” Adam added, bringing a smile to Megan’s face.

  “Not yet.” I wanted nothing more than to kill it, but if I was going to get any answers, I needed the damn mutant.

  “Why not? It can’t tell us anything more since you killed its host,” Adam shot back.

  “Excuse me. I thought it would be better than getting stung.” My voice rose at least ten decibels.

  “We already have been!” Adam’s cheeks flamed red, then blanched white.

  Megan’s mouth dropped open and she grabbed the dashboard in a death grip.

  19

  “What? Are you shitting me?” Megan’s voice shrilled. “Holy hell. You two are Raspers?”

  She twisted and made it halfway over the seat before Adam grabbed her leg. He let go of the wheel and yanked. The truck veered to the side.

  “Adam, watch out,” I yelled as we headed toward a ditch.

  He spun the wheel and straightened the truck. “No, damn it. Now sit your ass back down before you get us killed.”

  “For God’s sake, will you tell me what’s going on? You’ve obviously been keeping secrets.”

  “It’s true, Val and I were stung by Raspers, but we seem to be immune to the toxin.” Adam held up his hand. “And before you ask, no, we don’t know how or why we aren’t affected.”

  We were affected, but not how everyone else was. We had heightened senses and greater physical ability. Was it doing anything else to us? The look on Adam’s face told me he was thinking the same thing.

  “When were you going to tell me?” Megan wiped away a tear.

  “I’m sorry. It never seemed like a good time.” I never intended to tell her. A headache nagged at my skull. This wasn’t going well. We should have told her before now.

  “You lied to me.” More tears dropped from her brown eyes.

  “No, not on purpose. We didn’t want to scare you.” Adam went to touch her arm, but she jerked it out of his reach.

  “You didn’t want to scare me? Didn’t want to scare me!” Megan’s voice turned into a shriek. “And telling me now while I’m locked in a truck between you both, with the damn Bug in a jar at Val’s feet doesn’t scare me? I want out.”

  Neither Adam nor I said anything. What could we say to make her feel better? When she spelled it out that way, we seemed like jerks.

  “Now!” Megan slammed her palm on the dashboard.

  “No. I’m not letting you out.” Adam said in a low voice that rumbled down my spine.

  “What? Are you keepin
g me hostage? Going to lock me up in a jar like your precious Bug?” Her eyes grew wide. “Or maybe have the Bug sting me so I can be like you freaks?”

  Adam turned to Megan then back to the road. “No. None of that. I won’t let you out because if I do, you’ll die. Maybe not from a Rasper or Bug attack, but from exposure or dehydration. We’re stronger together. We’re your friends and friends don’t leave each other to die.”

  “Friends don’t lie either.”

  Her words knifed me in the heart.

  “Meg, look, we’re sorry. Please believe me, we never intended to lie to you. Or hurt you. I wish we’d never been stung, but we can’t change that.” I exhaled and rubbed my temples, trying to will away the headache stabbing the back of my eyes. “I know the Bug creeps you out, but it knew my name. And it said the queen wanted me. I’m more than a little freaked myself.” I didn’t add that for some crazy reason, I felt like having the Bug might keep us safe if we encountered more Raspers.

  Megan crossed her arms and shot my bag a nasty look. “Hmm.”

  I glanced at my bag too, but not for the same reasons. Could he hear us? Understand us? “Hold on.” Adam yelled as the truck bounced.

  The road had fallen apart. Tire-sized potholes dotted the pavement. Vehicles were scattered across the road, many smashed into one another.

  “Shit.” Adam jammed down the brakes.

  We were going too fast to stop in time. We were on a bridge, but the bridge was partly gone. Nothing connected it to the other side. An eighteen-wheeler hung off the edge.

  “Stop!” Megan screamed.

  Adam practically stood on the brake while he jerked the wheel to the left. The tires screeched as if they were being tortured. The big rig kept coming. Closer, closer. I grabbed a hold of the handle above the window and Megan clutched my arm. We shifted hard to the right and I slammed into the passenger side door, my face pushed against the window. We barreled closer and closer to the eighteen-wheeler. Adam tried to stop us. With every inch we gained on the hunk of metal on wheels, the tighter my chest constricted.

  I calculated our options. If we hit the semi, we’d die. Flip over—die. If we flew over the railing into the lake, die. All of the scenarios ended the same. We die. I couldn’t die this way. Not after everything I had survived.