In The End | Book 3 | After The End

by Stevens, GJ

  Craning forward, I saw discarded stone and greenery, but otherwise the road looked clear and with a sense of relief rising, I knew the gap could be our saviour.

  With a backward glance, my optimism rose even more when I saw the pack had reformed. They were slowing.

  To add to my delight, as I turned ahead the grass looked so flat and already the suspension had ceased its complaint.

  We would make it.

  Aiming for the centre of the gap, I concentrated on the ground ahead, hoping an errant pothole wouldn’t trash our growing chance. Peering forward, I watched as two pairs of bloodied trainers pulled up, pushing me back into the seat as I took in the full height of the two tall men, their faces draped with blood, racing towards us through the gap with countless more following as they took the sharp turn from the road.

  My stomach sank, realising they’d caught us in a trap I should have seen coming. To do so meant they were so much more than I had ever wanted to admit possible; engineered superhumans who could cooperate with each other. How could we ever defend ourselves from that?

  To the squeals and calls from behind my seat, I had no time to weigh up my options. The split-second for thinking had gone, and I’d wasted it scaring the shit out of myself.

  Following my gut, gritting my teeth, I jammed my foot hard to the accelerator.

  “Down on the floor,” Jess called, as she moved to the passenger seat and grabbed the rifle laid down to my side, twisting it in her hands, ready to club whatever came through the windows.

  With my hands clamped tight, I fought the steering wheel as it pulled left, then right, before ripping from my grip as the speed built, sending pressure jolting up from the snap of the wheels. Despite being convinced we’d lose a tyre at any moment, I held our course locked on the centre of the gap whilst I tried to focus beyond the blood-streaked bare chest of the lanky creatures leading the group.

  “Hold tight,” I said, then forced my eyes closed as the figure loomed so large in the windscreen.

  As it hit the bumper and slapped the bonnet, screams shrieked high inside and out, but the pained calls cut short with each slam of pressure and the bass drum of flesh to the thin metal above our heads. Although desperate not to see the gory detail, I opened my eyes just as a youthful woman, her skin stained dark, slipped below the view.

  Beyond the great cracks and spider-web lines in the windscreen, the last of the shadows leapt out of our path, jumping high as we shot through the opening. The tyres clashed hard with the joint, but still in one piece, I corrected our path along the smooth tarmac.

  We were through, but my elation was short-lived when I couldn’t see any detail through the wrecked glass. Holding the wheel straight and peering through the windscreen, I tried to make out any shape to give me an idea where the road headed, but movement pulled my attention to my left and the dark hands gripping at the wing mirror.

  The call of the feral creatures hadn’t lessened as we’d joined the road; instead, the sound stayed so near I thought the high-pitched chorus would shatter every remaining window.

  Jess moved at my side, raising the butt of the rifle high, but I couldn’t see what she was doing. Instead, I searched out through the rear-view mirror as the creatures continued to keep pace on the road behind.

  The only thing we could do now was to keep going until they eventually tired, or we hit something unseen through the wrecked glass. A heavy thump came at the glass to my left, punctuated by gasps from those in the back.

  Glancing past Jess, still holding the butt high, I watched a red-raw fist retreat below the window line as the other hand gripped at the wing mirror.

  Swapping glances uselessly between the vague colours passing the trashed glass and to the mirror in the centre, hope renewed as the creatures behind us shrunk in the view. The feeling dissolved when I turned ahead for fear the road, bound by dry-stone either side, would narrow or take a sharp turn which I had no chance of anticipating at the speed we were going.

  Not able to keep up the gamble with our lives, I wound down my window. Catching only fresh, unsullied air, I pushed my head out, taking delight at the unobstructed view of the road ahead.

  Its course took us to the right, and I twisted the wheel just in time to make the long turn, letting the steering wheel pull itself straight so I could stare at the long stretch of dry-stone wall ahead.

  “Jess,” I called out as the idea came, and with my head still out of the window, I let the minibus drift towards the left-hand wall. Feeling the light debris at the side of the road through the tyres, I glanced back to Jess as she nodded in understanding.

  Drifting closer still, I didn’t need to wait long for her to tell me I’d scraped the creature from its hold and I centred us back in the middle of the road.

  About to revel in our new situation, a scream called out from behind my seat as a great force grabbed sharply at my hair. With the sting of pain in my scalp, an upward pressure forced my left hand from the wheel just as I caught sight of a steep left turn in the road ahead.

  31

  JESSICA

  Revelling as the gap decreased, the wall closed in as I watched the creature’s fist pull up for another attempt to break the glass. With a scrape of flesh which should have turned me away, the body clattered against the stone before dropping to the ground and rushing out of sight. I couldn’t help but imagine its impassive look with its teeth bared as it raised itself back up to give chase.

  Lowering the rifle to my lap as the minibus centred, we lurched to the right to an agonising call from Logan. Twisting in my seat, I saw his head far out of the window, his torso almost following but for the belt across his chest and his right-handed grip on the steering wheel pulling us toward the other wall and the same fate he’d just inflicted.

  The minibus jumped, riding out of some unseen pothole as Logan’s head dipped to a squeal of pain and I saw for the first time the tense, dark fingers from the roof, hooked into his hair.

  Lurching across the seats, I grabbed the wheel, pulling to the left, but Logan’s grip in his life or death battle was too strong. His right foot somehow kept clamped down on the accelerator and I knew despite the obvious danger, we shouldn’t slow for those behind to catch up.

  “Help,” I shouted, but Alex had already jumped through the back seats and, to Shadow’s bark, she slid the side door open.

  Air forced through the open doorway and with the huge stones blurring past, Alex leaned out, standing on the doorsill. With the wall close at her back, she peered up, eyes widening as she looked along the roof to the sound of a terrifying screech calling above.

  “Rifle,” she shouted in competition to the rush of air and, leaning back in, she held out a hand, grasping into the cabin while I kept both my hands pulling the steering wheel as hard as I was able.

  Beth lurched into my view, over the seats from the back, to grab the long gun at my side.

  Taking the rifle one-handed, the other hand gripping the edge of the roof, Alex would have one shot, with no hope to contain the recoil from ripping the gun from her grip.

  To Shadow’s barks, Logan’s desperate calls and Mandy’s angry screams to do something cutting through the rush of air, I stared to Alex as she pushed the gun high, her features contorting with the strain of raising the metal against the pressure of the rushing wind.

  With the gun nearly high enough, Alex lurched forward, tensing as her back kissed the wall.

  From somewhere, I found more strength, wrenching the wheel a little more to jerk us to the left just as the round exploded above our heads.

  Twisting around to the sound of the rifle clattering to the road behind and desperate to see Alex still holding on, she climbed back in through the side door, grabbing Beth’s offered grip as a body flashed past the back windows.

  The pressure at the steering wheel relented, and I corrected us to the right for fear I’d lurch us too far the other way.

  Our speed slowed as Logan took stock, rubbing his head and I turned to Al
ex, watching her grimace as she slid the side door, shutting out the raging wind.

  She looked up, but instead of catching my eye, her eyes shot wide at the windscreen. I turned just in time to see the darkness at the same time Logan slammed on the brakes.

  A haze draped over my thoughts as a soft voice called from the distance.

  We’d come to an abrupt stop, not soon enough to miss whatever blocked the way, but enough that the impact was so much less than it could have been.

  An ache ran across my back. I’d held the wheel as we collided and I dared not think about how it could have been if Logan hadn’t spotted the darkening view through the wrecked windscreen.

  We had no time for the dazed expression on each face to melt away; the creatures were still running to catch up.

  Mandy pulled the seatbelt from her chest, her eyes wide as she stared, scowling as if it had been my fault.

  Cassie sat up, blinking, her face bright red as if she’d been holding her breath.

  Shadow whimpered from somewhere I couldn’t see as Alex turned to look out of the back windows, Beth reaching down to comfort Shadow.

  I followed Alex’s look and saw the rifle laying on the road in the distance with the body beside it. My gaze couldn’t linger, instead looking to the crowd heading towards us at speed.

  “Close the window,” I called, keeping my voice low. “Close the window,” I repeated when no response came.

  Gasps called from inside the minibus as I opened the passenger door, dropped to the tarmac and ran off with my sights set on the gun.

  32

  LOGAN

  Jess spoke before she’d left through the door. She’d repeated words, but the constant high pitch in my ears wouldn’t let me hear. Pain seared on the top of my head as I reached up to touch my scalp. Chilly wind blew across my face and she vanished to the sound gathering in the back of the minibus.

  Close the window, were the words relayed as my brain caught up. Close the window.

  I listened to the whispered sounds, but it was the low, unnatural moans which piqued my interest.

  Turning to my right, my fingers found the winder and leaning forward to do as Jess had insisted, after one revolution I stopped to stare at the vision in the wing mirror.

  Jess ran with an impressive speed from the minibus. My instinct feared she’d lost her mind and was leaving us to our own devices. Cutting us loose. Freeing herself for her own ends.

  But she was running the wrong way. The dark figures were heading towards her at a speed that seemed to match, but in opposite directions.

  Twisting in my seat, I turned to look back in the cabin, my gaze flitting to each of the faces as they peered back, unsure what was going on; Mandy wide-eyed and in a daze. Shadow looking up expectantly as if waiting for a command. And Cassie. Confusion covered her reddened features.

  Tearing my gaze away, I glanced through the back windows to a dark shadow of a creature passing by Jess as she crouched to scoop something from the ground.

  Someone asked if everyone was okay and all I could think of was what could have been if I hadn’t slammed on the brakes.

  A gunshot exploded in the air and I peered back through the windows, but I couldn’t see Jess anywhere. My look fell on the creature who was so close I could make out its dishevelled clothes and the side of its face shaven of skin.

  A second shot boomed out, and the figure lurched forward, bowing down, but it still ran, tangling itself in its legs before regaining balance and continuing its race.

  “Down,” I shouted, as a round shattered the back window; an errant shot missing its target, I hoped. “Down,” I screamed, as I pushed myself into the footwell, but I couldn’t stay there; we had to get moving.

  Not waiting for the next shot, I jumped up, wincing at the pain as I leapt over the seat to Cassie, barely looking through the remaining rear glass panel and the dark figure the other side.

  Movement and that smell greeted me as I stumbled between the seats. I span around and looked to Alex, her face contorted as she moved with blood running in a slow drip from above her left eye.

  Another shot rang out, quieter this time and a dull thud came from behind me, rocking the minibus on its suspension.

  “Keep down,” I shouted, as a hand gripped tight to my leg from below. Snatching my foot from the grip, I looked up to see Mandy, her eyes wide and so white against the contrast of her face still caked in dried blood. She pointed, opening her mouth as if unable to get words out, towards where Alex grabbed at the side door handle.

  “She’s fine,” I said. “It’s just a little blood.” I turned Alex’s way as the door slid open and she nodded back as she touched the tips of her fingers on the trail on her forehead.

  “Move,” Jess called through the front passenger door, but she’d gone when I turned toward her voice.

  Before I could seek her out, the side door slid wide, filling the cabin with sunlight as Jess guided Alex out to the road.

  With Cassie’s legs quivering and my arm around her holding her up, I helped her to the road with her heat surging through my clothes as I peered at the estate car we’d hit, the last in a line snaking out of sight.

  “Is everyone okay?” Cassie asked in a weak voice.

  “I think so,” Beth said, getting out of the seat to follow.

  I didn’t need to look along the road to know what caused the stench drifting on the breeze as Jess held Alex by the hand to guide her between the cars with the rifle slung over her shoulder.

  Beth jogged past, joining Mandy walking between us with Shadow close, his nose to the air as we followed. With every step, Alex seemed to recover from the bang to her head. I wished the same would have been true for Cassie.

  I followed Jess’s look, sweeping left and right as she hurried forward, releasing Alex’s hand when we found the white coach abandoned with its door wide at the head of the roadblock.

  Alex turned, stopping to glare for a moment, not the only one of us fearing our current situation repeating. Her backwards glance looked beyond me, but I dared not follow; her widened eyes told me all I needed to know.

  Alex let us catch up before tucking herself into the other side of Cassie so we could build our speed.

  Setting off with a quickening pace, Mandy tripped, falling behind and forcing me to look back when Beth carried on forward, regardless.

  Slipping hold of Cassie to clutch at Mandy’s wrist as she regained her footing, I looked away from the three ragged figures in the distance as they bounded towards us, quickly bridging the distance.

  “Run,” I shouted, tugging at Mandy, but ready to let go if she remained stubborn.

  “The camper,” Alex shouted.

  I let go of Mandy’s wrist as she pulled back.

  “Your choice,” I said, not slowing as I caught up with Alex and wrapped my arm back around Cassie to hurry her between the cars.

  I didn’t glance back but I could hear Mandy’s steps and we were soon within touching distance of a VW minibus; a California with its side door wide and the driver’s door held open by Jess, but my alarm rose as instead of an empty road ahead, another car blocked the way to whatever held the cars back.

  With hope Jess had a plan, I watched as she diverted around the wide-open door and out of view whilst we bundled Cassie into the back. Beth followed to sit by the window. Alex jumped through the centre of the front seats and into the driver’s position.

  The engine started just as I dropped backwards to the road and I turned to Mandy as she stumbled forward to Shadow guarding the door as he panted.

  With her breath pumping hard, Mandy came within reach and I grabbed at her outstretched hand, but my look fixed on a figure blackened and burnt to a crisp. Scorched from head to foot, it was unrecognisable as anything that should stand, let alone run with such a pace, almost skipping with the other two who looked human in comparison. Catching their stares switching my way, I turned, shivering at the sight.

  Shooing Shadow past his reluctance to g
et in the van, I slid the door shut from the outside and ran to the next car, a BMW, to search for Jess and her plan. She stood at the block beyond the car with the rifle pointed down.

  A shot went off, and I flinched away, slowing my run in horror of what she could be attacking. Another shot rang out, but I continued to walk toward her with a mix of intrigue and fear that she’d lost her mind. Then I saw it.

  Instead of a giant cube of concrete, the road was blocked with huge square containers of water and the one beside Jess had holes spraying the clear contents out to blacken the road.

  Jess turned with a glint in her eye as she let the rifle down, her gaze looking past me to bring the fear back. I turned, hopeful she’d considered all options in her plan, but looking through the window I saw the ignition of the BMW empty.

  Shrill calls rose in the air and Jess raced around the passenger side of the VW, jumping into the seat as Alex revved its engine to push against the back of the BMW. It barely moved.

  The VW’s engine note rose higher, and I glanced back as something high in my peripheral vision caught my attention.

  There was no time to get to the VW before those things would land. The screams raced closer, reverberated through my head. To the sound of gunshots, I pulled open the BMW’s door, falling to the seat, just able to grab the door closed before the blackened creature slapped to the metal with a great call, its fists thumping at the window with such a force I couldn’t quite believe the window hadn’t given with the first hit.

  Looking behind at the VW under attack, two beasts scratched and scraped at the doors and windows with its bumper pushing harmlessly against the car I sat in. Then I saw the gear stick in first and the handbrake pulled up. Pushing the button on the end of the brake, I grabbed the long handle to let it down and yanked the gearstick into neutral.

  The car jumped forward, but the relief vanished under a shower of glass and a cloud of burnt flesh bursting from outside. Gagging at the new stench, I hit out toward the window with my hand balled, punching it square on the cheek. Its flesh felt supple, the black char coming away as it lurched forward, snapping its teeth when I withdrew my knuckles.