Escaping Extinction - The Extinction Series Book 5: A Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series

by Tara Ellis

  “We’ve got everything you asked for,” Jess said, trying to sound confident.

  Her dad moved closer and bent to look into the first of the crates. Lifting a hand, the simple motion brought two of his people to his side, and they began going through the rest of the supplies.

  “I—” Jess swallowed, while searching her dad’s face for even the faintest glimmer of emotion, or even recognition. “I was hoping you might come…home. I, I miss you, Dad.”

  Eric Davies clasped his hands together and looked down his nose at Jess, not unlike the way he used to when he would reprimand her. “This is no longer where I choose to reside, and you know that I’m not your father, Jessica.” He turned his head slightly to take in the barn where Peta and Eddy were hovering, waiting for an introduction, before looking back at her with eyes narrowed.

  “They’re doctors!” Jess blurted, jumping ahead in her planned speech. “They’re here to help you. To help everyone! Please, Dad. We got you all the food. Everything you asked for is here. Please, just talk to them. For me.”

  Looking as if he’d tasted something foul, her dad took a step back. “We’re here for the provisions, and to remind you that you’re being allowed to stay. An arrangement that may have reached its beneficial limit. The only thing I’ll do for you is take pity. You’ve been left behind in mankind’s evolution, and are now uncertain of your role. I’m still deciding whether you’re capable of accepting that. Nothing more.”

  As the man who used to be her dad turned away, Jess heard the rumbling of the quake from the day before roaring through her mind. She remembered the feeling of the earth trembling beneath her.

  She’d been right.

  A force of nature more powerful than Jess could imagine had already ripped them apart. And there was no putting it back together.

  Chapter 12

  PETA

  Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname

  The Libi Nati Preserve

  “Dr. Davies!” Peta called out, doing her best not to allow the seething contempt she felt for him to spill into her voice. Walking toward the man like she had every right to be there, and no concerns over the armed group of whatever the hell the people were behind Davies, Peta waved a hand in greeting.

  “I was thrilled to find out you were still alive.” Meeting him midway between the driveway and barn, she held her hand out. “My name is Dr. Peta Kelly, and this is my colleague, Dr. Edward Chase. We’re here on behalf of the US Government to locate and study the people of a Lokono village, reported to have complete immunity to The Kuru.”

  Eric Davies disregarded her greeting and simply stood staring at her, eyes narrowed and lips pursed.

  Peta slowly lowered her arm and tried again. “We were directed by some people in town as to the location of the village. When we found it abandoned, we came here to speak with Akuba, who we understand to be the only remaining member,” Peta continued, refusing to waver under his unsettling scrutiny. “She apparently doesn’t know where they went, but I’m hoping that with both Akuba’s and your cooperation, we can collect enough information to take back something beneficial to the CDC.”

  “How is it that you heard about the immunity of the Lokono’s?” Davies asked, a raised eyebrow the only change in his persona.

  Peta shrugged. “A report came in that eventually made it to the right channels,” she said, cautiously handling the lie. Expanding on the truth was one thing, but outright fabrications could cost them. “I believe it was someone at the clinic, prior to it burning down.”

  Davies eyes shifted to Eddy. “And your role here?”

  Eddy moved up next to Peta, but didn’t bother trying to offer his hand. “I’m a neurologist, with some additional background in research and virology. I happened to have a unique, front-row seat to the initial outbreak in the states, and was able to compile some useful documentation on the progression of the disease in the brain.”

  “You’ve been touched.”

  “Excuse me?” Eddy asked, his eyes flitting back and forth between Peta and Davies.

  Eric leaned closer to Eddy, studying his face, and Peta had to fight the urge to push the man away. Jess had been right. There were clearly some differences between the degree of change in the two men. Where Eddy still had some personality and a hint of weak emotions at times, she saw no sign of either in Davies.

  “You are one of those touched by Kra Puru,” Davies stated before straightening back up. “One of The Cured.”

  Eddy nodded as he pulled a manila folder out from under his arm. “Yes, I am. Which is yet another reason I was afforded an exceptional opportunity to study its affects.”

  Eric made a sweeping motion at the file as his mouth twisted, much the same way it did when Jess called him her father. It seemed to be the only outward display he was capable of showing. “I don’t need to see your studies, doctor. And I have no intention of speaking with you either, Dr. Kelly. I’m afraid your trip here was made in vain.”

  Peta’s temper flared, and it took all of what was left of her self-control not to react. “I don’t understand. Did you hear anything we just said? I realize that you’re isolated here and have probably been cut off from any outside communication for some time. Perhaps you don’t realize the magnitude of what’s happening. The Kuru, or the Kra Puru as it’s called here, has over a ninety-nine percent death rate.” He only stared at her, still emotionless, and blinked slowly. “That’s billions of people dead, Dr. Davies. We’re only asking you to lend us some of your knowledge of the indigenous people who show what appears to be a natural immunity to something that is wiping out the population of this planet. To sit down and have a conversation. And all you can say is that we’ve wasted our time? This isn’t our time to waste,” she insisted, her voice rising despite her best efforts. “It’s the world’s. The whole freaking population, and you don’t get a choice as to whether you’re a part of that or not.”

  Unphased, Eric shook his head at her. “It’s all about choices, Doctor. I’m well aware of what’s transpiring elsewhere. It is you who doesn’t see it clearly.”

  “I was there!” Peta shouted, her body tensing. “I was a part of the original team, studying the MOHO eruption. I have more knowledge of what’s involved than anyone left alive, and if you’ll just work with me, we might be able to do something to save those still hanging on.”

  The lack of a reaction at her revelation went beyond his inability to experience strong emotions. Peta squinted at him, her unease growing exponentially. She was beginning to comprehend Akuba’s inexplicable fear.

  “I know exactly who you are, as well as your substantial credentials,” Eric said with a hint of smugness. He paused just long enough to let the comment sink in. “We have a mutual acquaintance; a Dr. Madeline Schaeffer. I’ve been expecting you.”

  Peta took a step back, her mind racing to make sense of the information. How was it possible?

  The water.

  Of course!

  Peta cringed at her own shortsightedness, unable to stop herself. As soon as Jess had told them about Amisha having been the one to send the jar of water to Madeline, she should have realized the potential. If Madeline had tracked down the resort and was making phone calls that early on, it stood to reason that she might have also reached out to the one man in all of the literature featuring the Libi Nati and the preserve. Who knew how much she shared with him before becoming ill? But it was clear that he knew the prions were in the water, and most likely that Peta and her team were sent there to study it.

  He’d been a step ahead of them the whole time, and for whatever twisted reason, Jess was right. He didn’t want to stop it.

  “I believe you had another man with you. A pilot?” Davies asked as he glanced around.

  “He died,” Peta said bluntly, her thoughts still spinning as she tried to think of a way to salvage their plan. She was trying not to stare at his well-armed entourage. Even with Jason and the automatic weapons, if there was a violent confrontation it would
result in a bloodbath. They wouldn’t achieve anything that way, and too much was at stake to risk it. “He was already sick when we left the CDC lab,” she continued. “We buried him a couple of days ago.”

  Davies looked down his nose at her, and the arrogance was enough to make her want to scream. “Your petty necessity to perpetuate these lies only emphasizes your inadequacies.” He spoke the words like he was holding a lecture for a room full of first-year students.

  “He’s dead!” Peta yelled back. “The same as several other people that I started this journey with. Just like everyone else I ever loved in this life, and just like most of the damn world! You want honesty?” She pointed a finger at him. “You have a daughter over there that needs you, but you’re too busy pretending like your brain damage is some freaking gift from God!”

  Tsking, Davies raised an eyebrow again and looked close to being amused. “It’s because of your emotional instability that you are unable to comprehend this new reality. It’s a natural evolution,” he insisted, an urgency creeping into his voice. “It’s the natural order. Something we’ve been working towards for thousands of years now. We’re standing at the precipice of a new dawn, Dr. Kelly. It’s unfortunate you aren’t destined to be a part of it.”

  A flurry of motion to Peta’s left startled her as Eddy lunged forward, throwing the folder of documents at the other man’s feet. “Here is your truth!” he bellowed. “The only thing you’re seeing clearly right now is your own conceit. We have brain damage. Look at the scans,” Eddy added, kicking at the folder so that some black and white photos of his brain scattered across the ground. “I took those MRI images myself. The damage from the prions is rather obvious and substantial, but I have a strong suspicion that yours would be even more impressive. This isn’t some sort of divine intervention or planned macro-evolution, and it certainly isn’t our destiny. It’s a disease.”

  Eric Davies didn’t bother to look down at the paper near his feet, but simply turned and walked away. When he reached his truck, he slowed and pivoted to look back at them. “There is no stopping what has already been set in motion. You’re incorrect, Dr. Chase. This has nothing to do with myself. I am simply a bystander to something much larger than you are able to comprehend. But, you will. Eventually.”

  He opened the door to the truck and with a small gesture of his head, the other Cured followed his lead. As they disappeared inside their vehicles, he shifted to include Akuba and Jess in his parting sentiments. “We’ll be back in a week for more. Don’t take in any other strays or we’ll find ourselves in an unfortunate situation. And it’s time for you to leave,” he said to Peta, his eyes narrowing again. “Go back and let them know there’s nothing for you here at the Libi Nati, the resort, or with the missing Lokono’s. If you aren’t gone in a day, you’ll never leave the Amazon.”

  “That sounds an awful lot like a threat,” Peta spat. Now that they were being “honest”, she didn’t feel a need to hide her true feelings.

  Davies tilted his head at her and then nodded slowly. “That would be a correct assumption.” His eyes never left hers as he got into the truck, and he continued to watch her as it pulled out of the driveway.

  Feeling a bit like a bug under a jar, Peta refused to look away until the truck went around the first curve and disappeared from view. Even after it was gone, she felt the uncanny sensation of being watched and when she glanced over at Akuba, it was obvious the other woman sensed it, too.

  Peta held a hand up to prevent anyone in hiding from revealing themselves just yet, and instead went toward the barn. Eddy slowly gathered up his papers before following, so that she was the first to greet Jason as he climbed down the ladder from the loft. Mavi stayed seated at the top, with his legs dangling over the edge.

  “That could have gone better,” she said as Jason’s feet hit the ground.

  Shouldering the AR, he rubbed at his beard and squinted at Eddy as he walked inside, with Akuba and Jess close behind. “It was still the right thing to do. We had to try.”

  Eddy crossed his arms, looking grim. “At least now we know where we stand, and I believe we at least convinced him that Peta and I are here alone and don’t pose much of a threat.”

  “Maybe,” Jason agreed, not sounding convinced. He looked at each of them in turn, ending with Peta. “Are you ready to do this the hard way?”

  Chapter 13

  TYLER

  Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname

  The Libi Nati Preserve

  Tyler grunted as he lifted the heavy, dusty contraption onto the table Jason had pulled into the middle of the office. Peta was excited to see what she described as an “older” model microscope, and by older he figured she meant at least thirty years or more.

  There was already another, similar piece of equipment and several other things laid out on the table. Jess had led the expedition immediately after her dad left, into the darkest corners of the outbuilding where she said her dad’s students would stash things. While Peta and Devon acted like it was a treasure-trove, Tyler saw it as yet one more delay to doing what they’d come here to accomplish in the first place.

  He was done talking, hiding, and planning. His dad was dying, and every minute wasted was another that could have been spent saving him. “When do we leave?” he asked Jason, as he wiped his hands off on his jeans.

  Jason shared a look with Peta and then cleared his throat. “We…I think it’d be best if you sat this one out.”

  Tyler balked, and took a step back. He was aware that Jess was seated at the desk, monitoring the radio, but he didn’t care what she or anyone else thought at that point. “Uh-uh,” he said emphatically, shaking his head at Jason. “You don’t get to do that.”

  Frowning, Jason appeared confused. “I’m not sure what you mean by that, but things could get a bit dicey this time around and there’s no reason for anyone to take unnecessary risks.”

  “Unnecessary risks?” Tyler blurted. He saw Peta moving to intervene, but thrust a hand out in her direction to stop her. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve come close to dying these last two weeks? I already watched my mom get killed, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit around here waiting for my dad to die, too. Going to that hot spring is what I came here for!”

  Jason took it all in stride and simply crossed his hands behind his back as if standing at attention during a dress-down. When Tyler finished, he met his gaze and held it for a moment before giving a small, slow nod. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” Tyler asked, unsure of what Jason meant.

  “You’re right,” Jason said simply. “On all accounts. You’ve been through more than most of us in a lot of ways, and I was wrong to dismiss that. I should have asked what you wanted to do.”

  “Jason, I—” Peta tried to interrupt, but Jason turned to her and she stopped mid-sentence.

  “I know you promised his dad some things,” he said softly. “And I’d say you’ve held up your end of that agreement more than could have been expected.”

  Tyler hesitated. He wasn’t used to being treated like an adult and it threw him off. He wasn’t expecting Jason to cave, and the fact that Tyler didn’t have anything to argue about severely diminished his feeling of conviction. Ultimately, he squared his shoulders and fell back on what was keeping him going. “I made promises, too.”

  Peta opened her mouth and then closed it, looking conflicted. After a moment, she came around the table and simply put a hand on his arm. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “I think you’ve earned the right to make some decisions for yourself. You’ve been doing a good job so far.”

  “Any sign of Mavi and Paul yet?” Jason asked, making it clear that they were moving on to the next topic.

  Tyler glanced over at Jess, who wasn’t trying to hide the fact that she was openly listening to everything they’d said. “Uh, nope. Not yet,” he reported. “But they’ve only been gone for just over an hour. Akuba said that if they don’t find what you want at the clinic in Bot
topassi, the next town is like a half-hour further.”

  “Maybe we should have waited to collect this stuff until after we had something to process,” Jason said, rubbing his hands together.

  Peta began wiping down the microscope. “Once we go storming in there to get the samples, it could prove a lot harder to move around without being harassed,” she said. “I’d rather we have as much as we can set up and ready to go, before lighting that fuse. Plus, if we can get Akuba’s blood drawn and get something solid arranged with Garrett today to start sending all of it back, we’ve at least accomplished something if things go severely sideways.”

  “Are you broadcasting every ten minutes?” Jason asked, looking over at Jess. Tyler could see a change in the past couple of days in the way Jason was acting. Not just how he carried himself and moved around, but the way he talked and stared at everyone like he was constantly gauging and measuring. What, Tyler wasn’t completely sure, but he still found it reassuring. Jason felt dangerous. Like when he was finally triggered, no one was going to stand in his way. That was exactly what Tyler thought they needed.

  “For the past hour,” Jess confirmed. “Nothing back, so far.” She looked like she had something else she wanted to say.

  “What?” Peta asked, obviously seeing the same thing as Tyler.

  “Are you guys just going to drive up to the resort and demand they let you go to the Libi Nati?” she questioned, looking skeptical.

  “There’s one road in,” Jason explained. “The resort is surrounded by dense jungle for miles, and I’m sure they’ll be on alert, regardless of whether or not your dad believes that Peta and Eddy are alone.”