He hugged his pack closer to his chest and looked around. The creatures were still following him, their strange yellow eyes watching his every move. They howled and shrieked as they scampered along the banks. Occasionally the trees became too thick for them to follow but Jack could hear them just out of sight. Sometimes a creature would sniff the air and tear off, away from the river, a few of them following after. They could be gone for twenty minutes, sometimes half an hour, but, like terminators, they came back to track him relentlessly in his course down the river.
As Jack floated, he pondered what he knew about the creatures so far. If he was being honest, very little. They were fast. They attacked in a frenzied pack, like land piranhas. Jack barked out a laugh, thinking of a horror movie with flying piranhas he had once watched with his brother.
At least these beasts can’t fly.
He shook his head. He could just picture Dee telling him off for daydreaming about movies and not concentrating on the task ahead of him.
Jack shivered and glanced around. What he needed was a log, anything, to float on, and fast. The banks were clear of the monsters right now as they had run off howling a few minutes earlier, having picked up some scent or other. Jack let out a breath and swam for shore. He aimed for a copse of willow trees and hauled himself out of the river. Water cascaded off his chilled, exhausted body. He picked out a suitable tree for a flotation device and shuffled along the trunk. It was a small tree but it held his weight.
He strained his ears for any sounds of the creatures returning, but their shrieks were coming from some distance away. Not wanting to waste any more time, Jack opened his pack and took out his emergency dry-bag. He had a spare change of clothes, some rations and a first-aid kit inside. As fast as he could, he pulled off his wet clothes and towelled himself dry.
Having on dry clothes warmed him and gave him new determination to make it home. Home to Dee. Home meant everything to Jack. It was his haven, and Dee was the rock at its centre.
He contemplated what to do next. He knew he had to get back into the river. It was the only option. But getting wet again wasn’t. He bounced on the tree, testing the strength of the timber. He had a small, collapsible saw in his pack.
Working quickly, Jack set about his task. When he’d managed to saw through half of the log, he jumped down onto the muddy bank to finish the job. Feverish in his fear of the creatures’ return, he sped up. Tiny wood chips and sawdust coated his shoes. Just as the log began to splinter, he heard howls and crashes nearby. He pricked his ears, trying to determine which direction they were coming from.
Just a little more time.
Five centimetres to go. More shrieks. Branches shattered around him. The beasts could smell him. Jack glanced around. Through the willows, he could see the glowing yellow eyes of one of the creatures just a few metres away. It was sniffing the air. As he watched, its deformed head kissed the ground, then jolted back up.
Three centimetres to go.
“Help!” A frantic scream tore through the night.
Jack paused from his sawing and looked behind him. Had he really heard that?
“Please! Someone!” it screamed again, closer this time.
“Over here,” Jack called out. There was no use trying to hide his position; the creatures knew where he was. Jack had gambled that they wouldn’t reach him in time.
At last the log snapped with a crash and splashed down in the shallow water. The creature a few metres away howled and bounded towards Jack. In seconds, it had reached him and slammed onto the log. Jack threw his pack onto his makeshift raft and pushed the log into deeper water, ignoring the beast for now. He straddled the log like it was a surfboard and scanned for the source of the frantic cries.
“Wait!” shouted the voice.
Jack twisted and gawked as a woman broke through the thick trees and waded into the river. She held out a hand, pleading, towards Jack, her eyes wide in fear. She had twigs and mud tangled in her thick mane of hair.
“Swim. Hurry,” Jack said. He looked at the beast perched on the end of his raft. It was staring at the water as if some innate sense told it not to enter. To stay out. Danger.
The woman dived into the water and managed to reach the log. Jack didn’t watch her; he was too busy keeping an eye on the creature. It was crouching dead-still, only moving its eyes. The makeshift raft rocked as the woman pulled herself half out of the river.
Howls and shrieks erupted from the banks in a cacophony of noise. The monsters had returned en masse. Hearing his brethren screeching stirred something in their passenger. It snapped its head up and glared at Jack. Its eyes flicked to the woman. She screamed and dropped back into the river. With a shriek, the monster bounded at Jack. He fell back and jabbed the saw into the beast’s throat. The jagged blade pierced the creature’s neck and went up into its sucker mouth. Jack grunted and tried to shove the monster off. It clasped Jack and thrashed about. Jack slammed the palm of his hand against the saw’s handle, embedding it deeper into the creature’s mouth. He hit the handle again. The creature let out an almost pitiful whimper and went still. Disgusted at the thick black blood that oozed over his arm, Jack kicked the beast into the water.
The creatures that lined the river shrieked at the smell of blood, whether his or the beast’s, Jack had no idea. He reached out and helped the woman from the water. She clung to the tree, gasping, as they floated away. Jack left her to catch her breath and turned around, watching the dark countryside slowly drift by. He had a rough idea where they were. The river seemed to be taking them west, towards the Waikato River and Lake Arapuni. He hoped he was right. If he could find a kayak or, better still, a motorboat, he could stay on the Waikato all the way to Hamilton. To Dee.
“Thank you,” the woman gasped. She was still lying on the log, clutching a branch. Jack could see her jeans and shirt had been torn in several places. She had dozens of bleeding scratches and a deep wound on her arm.
“No worries,” Jack said. He nodded towards her myriad cuts. “You okay?”
“Barely,” she said, moving slightly to face him. “They nearly got me back there.”
“What happened?”
“You first. I still need to catch my breath.”
Jack opened his pack and handed her his spare water bottle. She took it and gulped it down.
“I’m Jack.”
“Emma.”
He let her keep the water and offered her a protein bar. He wanted to keep them for himself, not knowing how long it would take him to get home, but the good side of him wanted to help.
Emma looked up at him. “So, what happened to you?”
Jack sighed and relayed all that had happened to him in the ten hours since receiving the news. Emma listened, nodding, but offered no questions. Finally, Jack was finished.
“Hamilton, eh?” Emma said, chewing on the last of the bar.
“Yeah. Long way to go. Especially with those things out there,” Jack grumbled. “They seem to be afraid of the water, so I’m going to hunt for a boat.”
“Good idea. Mind if I tag along?” Emma murmured. “What about going to an evac centre on the way?”
“Evac centre?”
“Last announcement I heard on the radio, it told everyone to head to the nearest evacuation site. Cambridge would be our closest.”
“We could check it out on the way. But my main concern is getting home to Dee,” Jack said. “What about your family?”
Emma turned away and gazed over the farmland. She leant back against a branch and rubbed at the congealed blood on her arm. She examined Jack before letting out a sigh. “He came back, you know.”
“Who?”
“My husband.” Emma pointed back to where they had met. “We have a small dairy farm. A few sheep. Living away from town, we were used to having plenty of food. We figured we would just wait it out. Yesterday, we heard screams. Jon went to help. After a few hours, I started to freak out. Jon had shown me, years ago, how to use the shotgun. As I was f
etching it, he came home.” Emma paused, and turned her head away. When she turned it back, Jack could see the tears glistening in the early morning light. “I knew something was different as soon as I heard to the screen door bang open. I don’t know if it was the weight of his feet on the floor or just the way he was standing. Whatever it was, he attacked me.”
Jack waited, but Emma stayed silent. He didn’t press her. They had both done things to survive. Things Jack had never really imagined himself doing in a million years. He swivelled around and faced forwards. The creatures still tracked them downstream.
The sun was slowly rising over the Kaimai mountains. Jack watched as the sky went from grey to pink. Orange to yellow, and finally blue. He shifted his gaze north and prayed that Dee was safe.
— 6 —
They were scratching around out there, clawing at the ground. Dee could hear them sniffing. She could even hear their breath rattling out of their lungs as though they all had a bad infection. She alternated between sucking air through her makeshift snorkel and holding her breath. Somehow, the compost had the creatures confused. They seemed to know that she and Rachel were in here somewhere but couldn’t figure out where.
Dee kept herself still and focused on taking small, shallow breaths. She recalled the calming technique Jack had taught her and used it now to remain still. Dee could feel Rachel next to her. She would move her hand an inch or two now and then, but otherwise stayed as motionless as Dee.
The creatures sniffed around for several more minutes, scratched at the floor and let out the occasional shriek.
Finally, she heard them leave the shed and felt the vibrations of their strange, contorted limbs as they thumped across the yard. Rachel began to move but Dee held her back with a gentle hand on an arm, still fearful of the beasts. They could have left a sentry behind. It could all be a trick to lull them into a trap.
Without a visual, Dee wasn’t going to move unless she was certain. She counted to one hundred, then slowly dug away at the smelly compost and scraped some egg shells and vegetable scraps off her. She looked around.
It was now fully dark. The shed was empty, but Dee could see several footprints in the dry potting mix. She waited a few more minutes before digging the rest of her way out. Rachel rolled out of the soil and picked some celery leaves out of her hair.
“Eww,” she whispered.
“Look for your keys, Rach. We’ll hide inside.”
Rachel pulled the keys free and jangled them.
Dee held her finger to her lips, shushing her. “Not so loud. Okay?”
“I only have a key for the front door,” Rachel said. “I hope Mum and Dad are okay.”
“I hope so too, Rach,” Dee said.
Dee crept forwards, clutching the axe tightly, and scanned the back yard. It too was free of the creatures. Faint howls could be heard in the distance, but nothing came from close by. She pointed towards the front door and nodded at Rachel.
Dee inched her way down the side of the house, keeping her left shoulder hard up against the bricks, axe held ready. A faint odour of rotting fruit hung in the air. Dee sniffed, trying to pinpoint it, but couldn’t determine if it was just the compost or something else.
They reached the front of the house without seeing any of the creatures. Dee’s abandoned car was visible halfway down the street.
So close. But so far.
Rachel moved up beside her. “I can’t see any of those things,” she whispered.
“I don’t like it. It’s too quiet.”
“I just want to get out of here and inside.”
“Okay. On three.”
“Yup.”
“One.” Dee glanced left. Clear.
“Two.” She looked right. Clear.
“Three.”
Dee pushed off the wall and slid the axe into her right hand. Rachel screamed, Dee pivoted and gasped. The creature was on top of her friend, latched onto her back and tearing at her head and neck. Rachel screamed again and rolled to one side, trying to dislodge the beast.
The beast turned and its yellow reptile-like eyes bored into Dee’s. Its lips curled back into a snarl and it snapped its jaws at her friend.
A shriek from above jolted Dee from her stupor. Another creature leapt down from the roof and landed next to the first. It met Dee’s eyes. Even in the dark, she could see a glow coming from them, which invoked a fear within her that she never knew she had. This was something new. Something evil. The beast in front of her thought of her as food. Nothing more. Nothing less. And it was going to do everything it could to get that food. Her.
The beast had once been a woman, a half-torn skirt still in evidence around its waist. What had been blouse was now ripped and tattered, leaving the lace bra underneath visible. It hung loose on the shrivelled skin.
The creature crouched down and snarled at Dee before leaping at her.
For the thousandth time in the last few hours, Dee wished she had a gun or even her katana. She swung the axe with everything she had. Every last bit of strength. She not only swung it for her survival, but out of pity. Pity for the woman the creature had been.
The axe caught the monster in the side of the head and ripped off its lower jaw. Dark blood arced out over the lawn. The beast rolled over and righted itself.
Dee risked a quick peek at her friend. The creature had slammed her onto her front and was tearing at her back and head. Rachel was fighting, but failing fast, her shouts now coming in short, anguished cries.
Dee turned her attention back to the beast in front of her. She had to end this, and fast. Growling, she charged the monster. It gurgled something and swung its hands at Dee as she ducked beneath its groping limbs and drove the axe into the beast’s chest. It sank deep, shattering ribs and tearing away flesh.
A putrid rotten fruit scent invaded her nose. Dee shook her head and kicked the monster to the ground. It was still alive and tried to stand.
“Sorry,” Dee murmured. She swung the axe again, this time silencing the poor creature.
Dee spun and searched out Rachel. Rachel had her hand outstretched, begging for help. Begging for mercy. The creature that had once been a man was tearing strips of flesh from her neck.
Dee cried out and drove the blade of the axe deep into the creature’s head. It gurgled blood and slumped over, the axe still buried deep.
Dee glanced left and right, praying that no other monsters were coming. Several of the creatures appeared by her car and, spotting her, began to run.
“Get up, Rach,” Dee said, tugging on Rachel’s hand. When Rachel didn’t move, she frowned and crouched down. “Rach?”
She was staring blankly up at Dee, her lips moving in a whisper. Dee crouched down and grasped her hand. “Tell Dion I love him…I…sorry…” Blood and saliva bubbled from her lips.
“You tell him. Get up. We can make it,” Dee said, glancing towards her car. The beasts were only a hundred metres away but closing fast.
Dee slammed her fist on the ground in frustration. She didn’t want to leave her friend to become these creatures’ next meal, but she knew she was no good to anyone dead. With a growl, she shouted out a curse to the creatures and ran. Ran with everything she had.
Houses flew by in a blur. She jumped over kids’ toys, gardens and bikes. As she sprinted, Dee wondered where all the bodies or remains were. If these beasts were eating everyone, where were the remains?
She risked a quick peek over her shoulder. She had managed to lose three of the monsters but some, maybe four, still chased her.
Dee spotted a mountain bike lying in the middle of the road. A dark stain had spread out around it. Trying not think about exactly what the stain was, Dee skidded to a stop and snagged the bike.
Anything beats running.
Frantic, Dee searched for an escape route. She and Jack had spent many afternoons cycling through the city, exploring its many bike paths.
A lone howl echoed down the street, chilling Dee. She knew she had to decide, and fast. S
he looked down the road and grinned when she spotted a sign for the river. With one last glance to her pursuers, she pedalled away down the steep hill that led to the river path.
Dee breathed out a sigh of relief as the path ahead remained clear of creatures, and behind her, their howls wailed in the breeze.
Images of Rachel dying in a pool of blood, her arm outstretched in a plea for help, motivated her onwards into the night.
— 7 —
The province of Waikato is a mixture of low-lying swamps, riverlands and hundreds of farms. Filled with ravines and gullies, it is surrounded by mountains: the Kaimais to the east, the Hikramatas to the north, and Pirongia and Maungatautari to the west and south. Dissecting the province in half is New Zealand’s longest river, also named the Waikato. Several hydroelectric power stations were built to meet the demand for electricity. As a result, man-made lakes like Karapiro and Arapuni dominate the landscape.
Jack basked in the sun, enjoying the warmth of the late morning as the log drifted across Lake Arapuni. He could hear the creatures howling on the shore but didn’t bother to look. They were always going to be there, waiting for him and Emma to make a mistake. He glanced at Emma. She was hugging the main branch, her chest rising and falling at a steady rate. Jack envied her for being able to sleep, on a log, in the middle of a big river, with killer monsters on its banks. He had managed to catch a few minutes here and there, but worry, as always, plagued his mind.
What if the log drifts to shore?
What if I fall asleep and drown?
What if we get sucked into the intake pipe?
What if… What if…
He groaned to himself and took another sip of water. During the early morning he had refilled the water bladder from the lake, dropping in a couple of purifying tablets just to be sure. He shivered with revulsion, just thinking about getting sick from giardia, the pesky parasite found in fresh water.
Emma jumped, clung to the log and opened one eye. She scrubbed at her face with a hand. “I was having a horrible nightmare.”
The Rule of Three (Extinction New Zealand Book 1) Page 4
