Extinction Gene | Book 3 | 4 Days To Protect

by Maxey, Phil

  Jess pulled back, walking to the front door and looked back to the kitchen and her children that were both watching her. She smiled, turned and left.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  6:42 p.m.

  Landon saw the lumps of darkness making their way across the lawns and yards towards his destination. The entrance to the back garden of the boarding house. Skin and sinew glistened in the momentary flashes of gunfire trying to keep the creatures that had already reached the western barricade at bay, and like moths to a flame each of the things altered direction, increasing their awkward speed towards the battle.

  Crunching came from behind, making him whirl around from his position behind a car.

  More coming.

  It was now or never. He stood, running around the hood and sprinted forward with only the slightest of impressions of the world around him. He stumbled through the darkness trying to decipher the shadows, changing direction if something was wrongly shaped and crashed up against the fence at the rear of the old property, then ran along it, using his hand as a guide against the wooden boards, until they hit a gap. He frantically grabbed at the latch, flipped it up and pushed the gate open, running inside and not stopping to close it behind. He tried to recall where the tables and chairs were but still clipped the edge of one, the pain searing through his thigh but kept on moving forward, towards the back of the house. Spreading his hands out in front of him, he quickly found the door to the kitchen, which was still open and ran inside, closing it behind. The interior was darker than the outside, but that wasn’t a concern as he moved through the small room, living room, hallway and—

  Something jumped at him, making him careen backwards against the wall, his hands flailing across his face, but just as he thought his life was about to come to an end, Donnie gave out a little bark.

  Landon swore, letting out a huge deep breath, then let the small animal lick his hand. He pulled the flashlight from his pack and switch it on, pointing it downwards as Donnie circled around, his tail wagging.

  “You almost scared me to death, literally… Glad to see you too, buddy. But right now, I need to find something. Wait here.” He raced upstairs to the landing, but instead of going to his bedroom, he moved past it and opened Arlo’s. He hadn’t known the older man long, but as a detective he was trained to read people, and he had already come to respect that Arlo was the kind of guy who liked to plan for all eventualities.

  He moved into the small room, sweeping the light around as more crackles of gunfire exploded outside.

  “Where… would… you…” He knew Arlo wouldn’t hide anything in such an obvious place as he and Jess had. No, the gamer would have been cleverer. He would have used… Landon walked into the small bathroom, opened a few cupboards, scanned upwards and then down, and started to leave when he noticed the cistern above the toilet wasn’t exactly lined up as it should have been. He placed the light in the basin, then slid the heavy lid from the top of the water receptacle and looked down upon a submerged blue plastic bag. “There you are.” He pulled it out, then pulled the tape from it, tearing it open. The handgun almost fell to the floor but he caught it in time. Inside was a bottle of water, a breakfast bar, and another flashlight. Landon quickly checked the magazine, making sure it was fully loaded, and placed the other items inside his pack then moved back into the bedroom and looked out the window. His mouth fell open. Those at the southern barricade were falling back as clawed appendages attached to semi-human bodies clambered over the vehicles, the bullets tearing into them seemingly having no effect. He swung around to the wagons, and those who were perched on them, firing over the heads of those running towards them. He focused on the buildings he could see opposite, and then tried to look to his far left.

  They have to be in this street.

  He ran back downstairs, where Donnie was patiently waiting. “Agh, dog… I can’t take you for a walk right now. I’m going to let you—” A crazy idea hit him so hard he almost grabbed for the doorframe. “W… wait there.” The dog tilted his head, but Landon was already running back up the stairs, this time going to his own room. He pushed the door open and ran to a backpack on the floor, pulling out one of Jessica’s gloves, then quickly returned downstairs. The dog was still sitting but his tail was wagging again. Landon pulled the glove inside out as best he could and held it close to the dog’s nose. He had seen dogs work within his department and been amazed at how they could find things. But those were heavily trained animals, not a mangy mutt that had been tied up in someone’s yard. Donnie sniffed across the glove then looked up at Landon. “Jess… yes, this is Jess’s… Where is Jess? Find Jess!”

  Donnie turned and walked to the front door, his tail now almost a blur of excitement.

  Landon looked through the small windows next to the door and the chaos outside, then down to the animal pawing at the wood. “Okay buddy, here we go.”

  *****

  Jess crouched against the low wall and iron railings which ran along the parking lot of the bank building. The air around her was a mixture of sulfur, screams and gunfire, and just a few yards away people were standing on their wagons and firing in all directions.

  She scanned the panicked faces for anyone she recognized, but all were new to her so she crept along the bricks, keeping low and to the shadows. The last thing she wanted was to be hit by a—

  Deafening booms made her cover her ears as projectiles streamed inches above her head, some clattering into the masonry and dropping crumbs of concrete across her hair. She forced her eyes open watching the neon streaks cut through the night behind her, across the lot and into… things… loose moist skin hung from staggering creatures that were only tens of yards away, forming a creeping wall. Blood flew from wounds but it only appeared to annoy them, and Jess watched them surge forward, straight towards her. Not caring now if she was going to be seen she lunged forward out of the direction of fire, then clambered over the wall, instantly being hit and almost knocked to the sidewalk by a woman running past.

  As Jess awkwardly righted herself, a man ran around the front of a wagon and started to climb up into the seat. She grabbed the top of his arm as the storm of noise and fury raged around her.

  He turned around in shock. “What the hell, lady! Get off me! We’re leaving!”

  “The prisoners. Do you know where Isiah—”

  He frowned, shrugging her off and climbed up.

  “Please,” she shouted. “Do you know where the prisoners are?”

  He picked up the reins not looking at her, but the wagon in front. “Hey, get it moving!” He looked down to her. “Have you tried the bank? I heard some were kept in its vault.” He quickly returned his anger to the obstacle not allowing his wagon to move forward.

  Jess spun around as a creature leaped across the nearby wall and crashed into the side of the wagon behind. In the flash’s of gunfire and swaying lanterns she caught hints of teeth and claws attached to multiple spindly limbs which thrashed and sliced away at the old timbered transport, while the people inside fought for their lives. She rushed past the scene of carnage back the way she came, as things rushed left and right of her and the wheels on the remaining wagons began to turn.

  A spray of something wet covered her face accompanied with a blood-curdling scream and she threw herself at the glass door of the bank, hitting it hard but staggered inside. It closed tight, sealing her from the chaos in the street.

  “Landon!” she shouted, but there were only muffled sounds from outside. Something hit the glass windows, making them shudder. She spun around expecting to be covered in shattered glass, but instead a creature which looked like a skinless lion, except with more human facial features, slid along the glass. She froze expecting it at any moment to turn and see her just feet away, an easy kill, but then realized you couldn’t be seen from the outside. The thing’s angular face suddenly lifted and it sprinted away.

  She turned and ran forward past the counters, through a doorway, and with what little light there was n
avigated to a dark stairwell, quickly descending. “Landon!” she shouted into the gloom with no response.

  Please be here.

  She switched her flashlight on, revealing a small room and an open large heavy, secure door. She peered inside to an empty space. “You were here, weren’t you…”

  She turned, trying to think of where Isiah would have taken… a thought struck her which she refused to let fully form. She shook her head. “No… nope. He wouldn’t have killed him. He wants me to work for him. Landon’s here… or…”

  She turned and ran upstairs. The wagons were moving past her view, all heading towards Arlo’s original route for them, through the garages.

  They’re leaving Jess… Taking Landon and the Vaccine with them… but you can get back to Sam and Josh…

  For a fraction of a moment her mind was split into warring factions. Each with an equally valid argument for action.

  No!

  She ran to the glass door, looking left and right for any immediate danger and on not seeing any, pulled it open, taking a step—

  Something jumped up at her making her fall back inside, landing on her ass with the small dog on top of her. “Donnie?”

  He licked her face.

  “Jess?”

  She looked past the enthusiastic dog to the silhouette standing in the doorway. Landon ran forward and hugged her, then smiled at the dog who was bouncing around on the floor. “You did it!”

  “I can’t believe it… I hoped… but…”

  He pulled back. “Where’s the kids?”

  She got to her feet. “With Meg, not far from here.”

  “Good, lets get out of here! The things are going after the wagons. I think there’s a back way…” He noticed her not moving. “We have to go!”

  The final wagon sped past the window.

  “Landon, we have to get the vaccine…”

  “He has it! He’s not just going to give it to us!”

  She grabbed his arm. “You don’t understand. If we don’t take the vaccine before daylight, it won’t matter that we got away from here…”

  Anger and frustration flowed across his face, which turned into a nod, and he pulled her outside and both started running towards the back of the last wagon. “Go for that—” He threw his arm out, firing at a mass of shadows that were keeping pace with them, Donnie running by his feet. Depleting his bullets, he and Jess were now concentrating on pushing their legs and arms as hard as they could, sprinting down the center of Main Street, dodging the discarded items left behind, but the screeches were gaining ground.

  The rear of the last wagon, just visible was quickly being swallowed by the darkness of the garage interior, the metal shutter closing.

  Jess took off, leaving her husband with an increase in speed that if he hadn’t been running for his life would have left him static with shock. She skidded to a stop, grabbing the bottom of the metal door as Donnie slipped beneath.

  Landon dived to the ground and rolled in one movement beneath the shutter. Jess glanced at what was coming towards her and ducked under the door, letting it slam to the ground.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  7:26 p.m. Highway 54.

  The wagon bumped and heaved as whoever was driving it, drove the horses forward at an ever-increasing speed.

  Jess looked out of the back of the bonnet to a sea of nothing. A darkness which held the promise of death.

  “They still following?” said Landon, patting Donnies head.

  She remained silent, not having an honest answer. She could see a lot of details of the flat land on both sides of the four-lane road, and every few seconds there would be hints of movement, but nothing for sure. “I don’t know… Maybe.” She turned back to her husband and the boxes that surrounded him. One of which was open, its content of canned fish already being broken into by him. Some of which was being lapped up by the dog.

  He offered her a tin. “Here.”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  “You should eat.”

  She walked past him to the front and the gap between the fabric, and looked at the man seated on the wooden bench who was concentrating on driving the animals in front. “If we find Isiah,” she whispered to Landon, while watching the other wagons moving just as fast. “We find the vaccine.” She turned around. “You got any bullets left in that…” She could already see he hadn’t from his expression. “That would have been useful.”

  “He won’t know it’s empty.”

  She looked through the gap again. “Good point, but I don’t think he’s the kind of man you try to bluff.”

  “So what’s the plan. Isiah is probably on his horse, up front somewhere. And I don’t think he plans on stopping these wagons until they are a long way from that town.” Landon looked down, placing the remains of his tin on another box. “And with each second we get further from…”

  She angrily turned around. “I know! But I had no choice!” She looked away.

  “I’m not saying you did the wrong thing, Jess…”

  “I’ll think of something. I just need a minute.” She walked to the back again and looked out, this time at the sky above and swore. “If I could see the stars I would know what direction we are heading. Maybe we’re heading northwest, as I told Meg to go.”

  “You really think we’ll be that lucky?”

  She didn’t think they would. She sat down. “They have to stop at some point. They can’t keep pushing the horses like this. Maybe another thirty minutes, but they will have to stop soon.”

  “I wonder what happened to Arlo… Tracey…”

  “They’re both survivors.”

  “And immune.”

  “We have to get Isiah alone. If it’s his life or the vaccine, he’ll hand it over. We wait for—”

  They both fell backwards slightly as the wagon noticeably started to slow.

  “Maybe luck, is on our side,” said Landon.

  She stood, holding her finger to her lips and crept forward, looking out of the front again to the man, just feet away pulling on the reins. He whispered to himself, indicating he had no idea why they were stopping as well, and after a moment the wagon had completely come to a standstill as the one in front had and all the rest.

  “What’s the holdup!” he shouted.

  “I don’t know!” came the response from a woman on the other wagon. He swore, sighed then took out a flask from his jacket, but before the top was unscrewed an arm was around his neck which such strength that he was unconscious before the breath left his lungs.

  Jess pulled him through the gap and into the back of the wagon.

  “I’m not sure even I could have done that, that well…”

  She ignored her husband’s comment, hoping he wouldn’t go further into how she could now do the things she could, and quickly rummaged through the man’s pockets. She shook her head. “I was hoping he would have a weapon. But no.”

  “So the plan is?”

  She paused before a thought leaped from her lips. “Put his jacket on, quick!”

  Footsteps approached from outside. “Jeff?” said a gruff voice. “Where you at?”

  Landon scrambled to put the man’s jacket on, then weathered cap, pulling the collar up around his face to try and hide the obviously different facial features.

  “That you making that noise in the back? What the hell are—”

  Shouts came from further along the wagons. One of which Jess’s ears picked up before anyone else. She looked at her husband. “He’s… hurt…”

  Landon shook his head. “Who’s hurt?”

  “Isiah’s hurt real bad! You gotta come quick!” shouted another voice from outside. Footsteps outside turned into a fading run, but the commotion still continued further away.

  “This is our chance!” said Jess. “We just got to get to his wagon or horse. He must have them stashed there.”

  Landon nodded, getting to his feet. “Okay, you stay—”

  She stood as well. “Like he
ll. We do this together.”

  He smiled, briefly squeezing her hand, then moved to the back, looked out into the darkness, listening for the wrong kinds of sounds, and on not hearing any, jumped down, Jess following. He looked up at Donnie, whose head was peering out between the fabric. “Stay here. We’ll be back.”

  They walked past the wagon then the next. Up ahead, lanterns bobbed beyond tied up horses. It seemed the entire traveling population was gathered a hundred feet away.

  They quickened their pace, moving past the animals then the back of the crowd, pushing their way close to the rear of the wagon at the front of the convoy. A group of men were arguing, one of which was Gregg. He spotted Landon immediately despite the younger man trying to hide his face.

  Gregg snorted with a nod then walked towards the couple trying to stay incognito. “Thought you two would be long gone by now.”

  They moved closer to him, glancing at the surrounding faces watching them. “What’s going on?”

  “One of those things got Isiah. Tore him up. I reckon he’s just about done for.”

  “Where’s the vaccine? Do you know where he kept it?”

  Gregg looked up at the wagon. “It’ll be in there somewhere.”

  “Can—”

  A wave of shock flowed through the onlookers. Isiah, his jacket partially shredded, blood running from lacerations on his face and hands, stood on the back of the wagon, looking out from the bonnet. His eyes moved across the silent crowd then finally settled on the two imposters. He scoffed, but then winced. “Might have expected you to be…” His eyelids drooped and he wavered on the edge, then looked at Jess again. “Get in here.” He sunk back inside.

  She looked at Gregg then Landon, not knowing what to do.

  “If you want more of that stuff, you better get your ass up here, Keller,” came from wagon.