I watch the surrounding area as Ty makes his way towards her. At the last second, something makes her turn, and she sees Ty. She hisses, but he is on her in an instant and cuts her throat.
My phone keeps buzzing again in the back pocket of my pants. I wish I could stop it, but there is nothing I can do but to let it run its course. Ty makes his way back; there is blood on his t-shirt now.
It’s not quiet, but the noises are indistinct; someone screams. Further away, a shot rings out occasionally from one of the buildings. Hissing and roaring reach our ears, most likely coming from the dinosaurs.
“Shall we go inside?” I ask Ty.
He shakes his head, indicating he wants to go around the building. Since I don’t have a better plan, I follow his lead, and we walk around the building until we reach the next shattered window. Nothing is moving inside. The door into the hallway is closed and intact, so we can only assume that none of our adversaries are able to open doors yet.
“Hey.” a voice startles me, and I tilt my head up. Drew is almost dangling out of the windows above us.
“Are you guys okay?”
“Yes, you?” I ask.
“We got everybody barricaded in rooms up here. They are safe. Wait for us; we’ll come down.”
Before I can ask who us is, he vanishes from sight. Ty and I make our way to the entrance and reach them just as Drew, Maggie, and Jose come out. All three have their guns drawn; Maggie’s shirt holds traces of blood. Lots of it.
She shakes her head in answer to my unspoken question. “Not mine.”
“Is anybody else up there, to protect the others, just in case?” I make sure.
When they shake their heads, no, I suppress a sigh and tell Ty to go back up and cover the kids before turning back to Maggie, Drew, and Jose.
“Okay, let’s go.”
We keep moving forward, towards the noises. A gunshot rings out, followed by a mighty roar and another shot.
“That way.” Jose points at the lab buildings.
My phone vibrates again. No time. We run to the lab building in a semi-circle, covering each other as we advance, the way Martin taught us. A hissing sound warns us, just as one of the dinosaurs breaks out of the lab building, coming straight for us.
Five shots ring out in such quick succession; they almost sound like one. The beast’s head explodes as the five projectiles find their target, and it stumbles to its knees, the hindlegs still moving, as the front meets the ground.
Thank God these things are not bulletproof, and thank God they aren’t bigger than six feet so far. But the way things are going, I’m not overly optimistic it will stay that way. And even at six feet, they are imposing. Seeing those beasts run around is humbling in a way and absolutely surreal in another. They are majestic in their own right.
Not pretty or handsome like a lion or panther, but their differences make them rush to the top of the food chain and formidable opponents. I just wish I had time to actually watch them for a minute or two instead of them wanting to eat me all the time.
Whatever is going on in the world, this is something none of us has ever thought to see. Ever. There is no time to savor a single moment of it; we are fighting for our lives and that of our friends.
“Viv.”
I turn towards Blake’s voice as he and Ace come out of the same building the dinosaur just emerged from.
“You guys okay?” He puts his arm around me and pulls me into a quick hug when he reaches us.
I free myself from his embrace; I’m getting a little irritated. We’ll need to have a word or two about personal space but now is not the time.
Maggie asks, “Everybody up on the top floor?”
Blake nods, “Yes, Caren is watching the stairs.”
“Caren?” I raise an eyebrow skeptically.
A wry smile plays around Blake’s mouth. “Yes, she actually acted like a trooper. Killed two maniacs.”
“Speaking of, where are they all?”
All of us turn in slow circles, searching. We canvassed three of the six buildings, and after a short debate, find out that Blake and the others checked two more buildings, which leaves us with one. This one is on the far end, but it too seems quiet.
“Let’s check it, just in case,” Blake says, and we follow him, covering each other like before.
We are almost at the last building when we hear screaming. It’s not faint, but it’s also not close by. Questioning, we stare at each other. I slap my butt irritated as my phone vibrates again as if that would make it stop.
“Shit,” Jose yells suddenly, his face white as if he has seen a ghost, and starts running. He yells over his shoulder, “The elementary school.”
Chapter 22
We curse and take off after him. This time there is no formation to our mad dash; we all realize those things only came through the high school because it was in their way. Their goal was the elementary school from the start. We were never the intended target.
Some of the beasts must have gotten sidetracked. I don’t want to give them credit in thinking they might have even used the high school attack as a diversion. Something that would require more planning and thinking than they should be capable of. I saw the way they attacked each other; that didn’t scream smart or intelligent. But the fact that they planned a coordinated attack on a school like this makes me shiver.
We try to check our surroundings, but the screams are getting louder and more intense. All doubt where they come from leaves us, and we run like the devil is after us.
Running, I pull out my phone. Like I thought, I see several missed calls from Blake and Martin, but also a ton of others from numbers I don’t recognize. A lot of them display different area codes. I don’t have time to contemplate the ramifications of it now, though. Fervently I dial the sheriff’s number to let them know that the elementary school is under attack. But with a dark Deja-vu feeling to it, I only get a recorded message telling me that all operators are busy at this time. Cursing I end the call. Just as I’m about to push the speed-dial number for Martin, Blake falls in beside me. His phone pressed to his ear. “We will take care of it, dad. No worries, we’ll be careful.”
When he turns to me, his eyes are serious: “My dad says the entire town is under attack, but they will try to send people here.”
“Shit.” I pant, storing my phone back into my pant pocket, while it vibrates again.
“Yeah, pretty much. There!” He points at the elementary playground as it comes into view.
My blood runs cold, and a tremble moves through my body as if somebody hit me with a taser—four dinosaurs stomp around the playground, feeding on small bodies. Bile rises up my throat, and I use all my willpower to swallow it back down.
A maniac reaches for a teacher, who desperately tries to climb a jungle gym, already occupied by ten little kids hanging on for dear life. Their screams have turned into pathetic sounding whimpers, and my heart goes out to them, but at least they are safe for now.
Two dinosaurs stalk a small playground house. Tiny screams for help emerge from within; I try to ignore the small, mangled corpses on the ground. It looks like first or second grade had recess. Again, bile rises, but my entire being concentrates on the two monsters stalking the kid or kids inside the playhouse.
The lizards’ snouts try to get into the small windows, but they don’t fit. One of them yelps out suddenly and roars back. A wry smile plays around my lips when I see a pencil stick out of one of the dino’s eyes. ‘Good for you, kid,’ I think while jumping the short chain-link fence.
Jose, who was ahead of us by a few yards, shoots at the first maniacs, turning the attention of the others to him.
We finally make it to within firing range. I lift my Glock and pull the trigger. The dinosaur with the pencil in his head roars back but doesn’t falter, even though I hit it. I shoot again, and finally, the beast goes down, followed by its comrade, which Blake takes out.
The maniac pulling on the teacher’s leg is next a few seco
nds later, Maggie had to get closer to avoid hitting the man trying to save his life. I give my friend a proud smile and a thumbs up. She grins back widely.
Jose and Ty take out the remaining dinos, while the others take care of the last three maniacs. Screams from within the building let us know this is not yet the time to celebrate.
We reach the windows to the lower floor. Blake uses his Smith & Wesson to clear out the shards of glass still sticking to the broken frame, to make it easier for us to climb in. Inside the classroom, we find carnage too.
The pretty painted, small handprints on the wall with names on them are a stark contrast to the butchering that took place inside this room. A teacher is torn into pieces by a door; her hand outstretched towards the mangled body of a child.
I search around wildly, trying to avoid seeing the blood and gore and bodies. I don’t see any attackers. Either they got in and killed who they could and went back out, or…. my eyes fall to the door. More screaming comes from down the hallway, and soft whimpering comes from behind another closed door.
Maggie is closest and pulls it open. Red-rimmed eyes stare up to us. About eight little kids cower in the small bathroom that joins with the other class next door. One of the little girls throws herself at Maggie and starts to wail.
Another scream comes from down the hall; I turn my head, unsure of what to do first.
“Go,” Maggie says.
“I’ll stay too.” Jose volunteers.
Blake doesn’t pause before he opens the door leading into the hallway while I’m hot on his heels, followed by the rest of our small group. A hissing from our right has Blake turn and shoot. The maniac goes down just as another pops her head out of a room. I don’t hesitate and hit her in the chest. She flips back.
“Split up.” Blake hisses. “Viv, come with me. Ace and Drew go that way.” He points to the right.
We wish each other good luck and split up. I follow Blake and make sure nothing creeps up on us from behind. He enters the room where the woman I shot came from,“Anybody there?” he whispers.
“Help.” A small voice cries out. Blake covers me as I make it over to the side of the little boy who is holding his right side. Blood pours out of a wound.
“Come here.” I stretch my arms out, and the boy instantly jumps into them. I lift the little guy. “I’ll take him back to the others. Keep going; I’ll catch up.” I hiss at Blake. He looks uncertain for a moment but then nods.
“It’s okay. I’ll take you to a friend; she’ll take care of you.” I promise the kid.
I can’t help but kiss his clammy little forehead as tears threaten to flow from my eyes. Who does this kind of thing? Who creates or trains monsters to attack a school with little kids? The boy’s tiny arms are around me, and he is hugging me for dear life, threatening to cut off the blood supply to my brain in the process. I knock on the bathroom door, and Jose opens it.
“He’s hurt,” I explain before handing the boy over to him. “Got to go. I need to catch up with Blake.”
I hear shots, but they are coming from where Ace and Drew went. Hoping they are okay and that I’m making the right decision, I turn left to where I saw Blake last. The walls in the hallway are filled with children’s paintings — houses with people standing around hand in hand—presumably, the kid’s families. Briefly, I wonder how many families were irrevocably shattered here today and will never be the same again. Ever.
On the opposing wall are paintings of flowers; each flower has a name in the middle. I swallow against the threat of tears. Summoning all my anger against the monsters who did this, I channel it to prevent me from bawling.
A noise from the door to my right stops me in my tracks. I try to pull it open, but it’s locked from the inside. I hear a little whimper of fear.
“Kids?” I ask, my ear to the door, while my eyes continuously scan both sides of the hallway.
“Are you with the police?” a woman’s voice asks.
“No. Are you safe in there?”
“Pretty much, doors are locked and no windows.”
Her voice sounds familiar. “Mrs. Strippentow?”
The door opens just a little, and I see the worried but determined face of my fourth-grade teacher. “Vivian Allister.”
She acts like she wants to pull me into a hug but sees my gun and thinks better of it. She eyes it suspiciously. I try to smile reassuringly. “Don’t worry; I’m with the good guys.”
“I think there is something in the room next door.” Mrs. Strippentow says quietly. “You want to come in?”
“I’m good. Thank you, I’ll check it out.”
“Be careful,” she warns before she closes the door.
With my back against the wall, I make my way to the next room. Mrs. Strippentow was right; I can definitely hear something. Carefully I open the door, just in time, to watch Blake ram his knife into a maniac.
“You know, shooting would be faster,” I say with a grin.
He looks not so happy. Blood and sweat is smeared over his handsome face. He swipes his hand through this buzzcut hair. “I wanted to be stealthy.” He smirks.
“You know Mrs. Strippentow is next door?”
He points at the door leading to the small bathroom. All the rooms for the lower classes have two rooms connected by a bathroom. Blake investigates the Jack and Jill like restroom when we hear more shots from where Ty and the others went. My damn phone vibrates again.
Blake tries to open the door, but it’s locked; whimpering comes from the inside. I smirk at my friend. “Told ya that Mrs. Strippentow is next door. She’s got it all under control.”
“Whatever.” The warm smile on his face betrays his dry remark.
We get back into the hallway and check more rooms. It’s all the same, though. Most teachers managed to get the kids into the bathrooms and locked the doors, not without fatalities, but at least some are safe.
I console myself with that thought while we make our way up the stairs. The noises from the hallway reach me before I can see the four maniacs around the corner. Blake and I manage to each shoot one before the other two are on top of us.
I scream as the worst breath in history blows into my face. My attacker’s eyes are bloodshot; his hair is matted by sweat and gore to his head. His hair was probably blond at some point, but now it’s just a red-brown mess, repulsing me just as much as the stink of his body and dirty clothes. My attacker is a teenage boy my age, but double my size, his weight pulls me down, and with a thump, we land on the linoleum floor. I manage to get a leg under him, just as he tries to sink his dirty teeth into my arm.
With a grunt, I push my leg up, propelling him off me. As soon as his weight lifts off, I manage to pull up my gun and shoot. There is not much time for aiming. He is still so close, though, that I hit him in his side before pulling the trigger again and shooting him in the heart. He goes down. Blake has finished off his attacker right before me. He helps me off the floor; both of us are panting from the struggle and adrenaline still rushing through our bodies.
“That was close,” Blake says between grunts.
I put my hands on my bent knees to catch my breath and to stop my body from shaking so hard. “Yes.” I nod.
“Ready?” he asks before I am.
Without waiting for an answer, he makes his way down the hall. I let out a curse and follow him. Two more shots echo through the hallways, following each other in quick succession, emanating from further down, indicating that our friends are not far off.
On this level, most of the doors are barricaded from the inside. The windows facing out wouldn’t have been compromised since we are on the second floor. Even if the maniacs figured out how to open and close doors, I doubt they can climb walls. I think it’s safe to assume that whoever is behind those doors is secure.
One door on the right is wide open, and we can hear the scraping of a chair against the floor. When we clear the doorway, we see a tall boy standing over the body of someone who appears beaten to death. The
boy is putting down the chair, panting.
“Don’t shoot.” He screams at us in alarm at the sight of our drawn guns. He must be about thirteen, an eighth-grader, I assume, and tough at that. Fighting our foes with all he’s got.
“Nice job,” Blake nods, impressed.
“She killed our teacher when she tried to get us to the library.” the boy says. His face is sad but determined. He puts out his hand. “Richard.”
Blake shakes it quickly; his eyes never stop roaming around the room to make sure no more threats loom.
“Blake….” Blake starts the introduction.
The boy makes a waving motion with his hands. “And Vivian. I know.” He grins. “I wanted to join you guys, but my dad wouldn’t let me.”
“Well, you’re in if you want,” I say, impressed with him.
He is tall and still lanky, but it’s obvious he’ll grow into his shoulders and arms to be somebody to be reckoned with. His hair is shock red, and his eyes are the clearest green I have ever seen.
“Hey, are you related to Drew?”
The kid nods. “He is my older brother.”
“Can we spare the pleasantries for now?” Blake interrupts impatiently.
I hand Richard one of my larger knives. “Better than a chair.” I smile.
“Thanks,” he says appreciatively, impressed with the blade.
We go back into the hallway, and Richard points down the corridor where another corner looms. He indicates the right. “That’s the way to the library. I think everybody is safe in there.”
My phone vibrates again; I’m about ready to fling that thing out the window.
“Any more rooms between here and the library?” Blake asks and waits for Richard to nod before ordering us to check it out.
We put Richard in the middle since he doesn’t carry a gun. I consider giving it a try asking him to go to the library, where it is safe, but I doubt he would go, so why waste my breath? And since we are stuck with him, we’ll keep an eye on him. I promise silently that I won’t let anything happen to him.
Four more doors loom ahead of us, two on each side, before the hallway ends with a larger set of double doors, which must lead to the library. Two maniacs pound against the entrance, not realizing we are sneaking up on them from behind. Their bloodlust is driving them on single-mindedly.
The Rain | Part 1 | The Beginning Page 20