The Preston Six Collection: (Book 1, 2 and 3)

by Ryan, Matt

  He sloshed to the stone and kept a maximum distance from him and the stone. He felt the divots on the stone and placed most of the code in, the stone hummed, he put his feet in a running stance and pushed his finger into the last divot.

  He rushed to the door, the heavy water slowing him down. He felt fast and placed a foot on the bottom stair and jumped toward the open door. His face hit a wall and he fell to the floor. The door was gone and the dome had gone dark. The green digits of the bomb flashed out, sending tiny amounts of light with each passing second, counting down, forty-one, forty. He brushed the water from his face and stared at the bomb. The water sloshed behind him and he turned to face the noise. A grinner stumbled by, it hadn’t seen him yet. Another grinner staggered near him but didn’t react—how could they not see him?

  Without Prudence, he stood still, taking advantage of the seconds the grinners were giving him. They moved around the room in no particular pattern, maybe thirty of them in total. In a matter of seconds, he knew the grinners would notice him, chew him up and kill him. This bomb could be the one thing that clears the room for his friends.

  The grinners sloshed in the water toward him. They must have finally noticed the new arrival in their pit. He could make a dash for the stone . . . no, too many surrounding it now. The phantom pain in his leg returned and he reached at it with his free hand. He lifted the bomb and the flashing green light gave enough light to see their faces.

  They weren’t grinning.

  “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S gone?” Harris asked.

  Jack didn’t lift his head from the computer screen in front of him. “He was scheduled to meet with two senators, but he didn’t show.” He swiped his fingers over the screen. “It appears they’re looking for him as well.”

  What the hell was Marcus up to? Ever since he got Joey and Samantha’s serum he’d been everywhere, showing the world he was still alive and well.

  Harris leaned back in his chair. Not too long ago, Compry would’ve been sitting next to him. A couple decades further back and his wife would be in that seat. The longer he lived, the less he had. Everything seemed to die around him. He took in a deep breath and stared at the side of Jack’s head. How long would it be until he lost another? The humming engine of the aircraft filled the silence. The young man willingly signed up for it. Who was he to stop him?

  “What are the kids up to?”

  “Sir, there’s been an explosion.”

  Harris jerked upright in his seat. The screen displayed a live video of the partially collapsed building. “Isn’t that Travis’s building?”

  “The one with his office, yes.”

  “Were the kids in there?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Travis, you better have gotten them out,” Harris said, clenching his fist.

  “Do you want me to turn around?”

  Harris stared at the screen. “No.”

  Jack nodded and went back to his computer.

  The next hour he spent looking at the pictures of the scene at Travis’s building, with emergency workers frantically searching for survivors. Travis announced he had canceled all work in the building since MM’s takeover of the town and no one should have been in there. Harris shook his head, it seemed too convenient to have everyone out of the building. Travis knew he was going to betray Max and knew the consequences of his actions.

  If Travis got the kids out of the building, he was further indebted to Travis. He didn’t think he would live long enough to pay that debt, but if given the chance, he most certainly would. The man had every right to hate him. In Harris’s hands, two of his daughters had been killed, not to mention their old history with his first wife.

  “Poly’s video has gone viral,” Jack said.

  Harris nodded. The numbers on the video had already reached a billion. The video started a debate, even within Capital, about the limits of MM’s power over the world. He started the conversation a few weeks ago, and now this gave them a platform to openly criticize MM.

  Where was Marcus in all this? Could Marcus be in hiding? Marcus used to enjoy this part of the game, deflecting blame and spinning the situation until he came out looking like the hero. He’d seen it first hand, many times. This time, there would be no back doors and no diversions; he wanted to knock on the front door.

  The world was furious over the Sanct disaster, but they would soon forget. He had to take action with the smell of blood still fresh in the air. Even a week could be too late.

  “How much longer until we arrive?” Harris asked.

  “We’ll be at Capital in one hour,” Jack said. “Sir, I’ve been monitoring MM’s headquarters for the last thirty minutes and something’s happening. The chatter has exploded.”

  “What are they saying?”

  “I don’t know yet, they switched encryptions, but the volume is staggering.”

  “What do you think it is?”

  Jack shook his head and crunched his eyebrows together, staring at the screen. “Their servers are going offline, I think they’re crashing. Someone’s attacking their systems.”

  Harris rubbed his chin and leaned closer to the screen. Almadon said it wasn’t possible and she tried many times. Marcus himself had setup all the server’s codes and it was beyond anyone to figure them out. Even if anyone got close, Alice would interject. It was the biggest reason Marcus had a bill passed banning all A.I. development nearing the singularity.

  Companies were banned from creating robots, beyond toys. Marcus figured only an A.I. computer would have a chance at beating his system. Had someone been building one, waiting until this moment of chaos to unleash it? Marcus had made so many enemies through the centuries, it wouldn’t surprise him.

  “I can’t believe someone finally got to them,” Harris said, shaking his head.

  “This is too massive,” Jack said, his attention bounced from screen to screen. “Everything in MM going down. The orange distribution plants around Capital are reporting massive failures as well. Wait, now the whole west coast is crashing.” Jack took his fingers off the keys and squeezed his hands. Sweat beaded at his brow. He stared at Harris, looking pale.

  “What is it?” Harris asked.

  “The whole world’s going dark. . .” Jack looked as if he might throw up.

  “Calm down, this could be the very distraction we need.”

  “There’s nothing that could do this, nothing. This is too quick, too powerful. Everything online is being wiped from the planet. Don’t you see? This is going to cause global chaos.” Jack shook his head. “No, there’s only one man in the world that could pull this off.”

  Harris agreed, it just didn’t make sense. Why would Marcus destroy the world he spent a lifetime building?

  JOEY STOOD BEHIND THE CHAIR and glared at Emmett. With Julie and Poly standing to either side, he felt for the guns that weren’t there. How much of a chance did he have with Emmett if he moved to attack? Emmett’s face didn’t change as he regarded them. He could have been reading a car’s maintenance schedule.

  “Why did you take me?” Poly said, breaking the silence.

  “He wanted me to,” Emmett said. “But I didn’t bring you here for his entertainment. I brought you here to be rid of you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Joey asked.

  “Where are we?” Julie added.

  “We’re on Ryjack, LA, to be precise.”

  Joey took in a quick breath. “Why?”

  “Marcus thought I was building a grand bunker here—a retreat of sorts. But in his bedridden state, I disobeyed his orders. I couldn’t allow someone like him, a natural, running the company into the ground.”

  “And what does this have to do with us?” Joey asked.

  Emmett’s eyes narrowed before going back to his normal blank face. “I want you gone, but I won’t kill you. It wouldn’t be very sporting of me to do so. You’ve impressed me, going through the sevens and eights like you have.” Emmett stood from his chair. “I’m going to giv
e you a fighting chance.”

  Joey’s heart raced and he clenched his fists in preparation. Maybe if all three of them attacked at once . . .

  Emmett laughed. “I’m not fighting you, it would be like choking a baby. But don’t take this as a free pass.” He looked at the ceiling. “It won’t be easy to leave this place alive and if you manage to get out of the bunker, I doubt you will make it out of the city.”

  Joey looked at the ceiling. What was above them? “We’ve seen worse than a rundown building.”

  “There are things in this place that would make the average person curl up and want to die. You kids have earned my respect.” Emmett stared at Joey’s wrists. “What are those bracelets for?”

  Joey stared at the man behind the desk and rubbed at the metal on his wrists. “Something I made at summer camp.”

  The corner of Emmett’s mouth cracked. “You know, once I dispose of Marcus, I could use people like you. If you can live through this, that is.”

  Was he offering them a chance at freedom? Joey wanted to get home, get back to his family and the awkward birthday parties. He wanted to see the Preston Six whole once again. The idea seemed whimsical, something a silly boy would dream up. The idea of going back to a normal life was so deep and tantalizing in the recesses of his mind, he didn’t dare open the door, or he would get lost in the fantasy.

  “We’ll get out of this rat trap,” Joey said.

  “I’m rooting for you.” Emmett stood. “I hope you make it. I, on the other hand, am leaving this place. I have to get back to Capital and pay a visit to Marcus.” He turned his back to them and placed his hand on the wall, glancing back over his shoulder. “In my desk drawer, you will find a few items of use.” A green light lit near his hand and a hidden door swung open next to him and he stepped inside. Once inside, the door slammed shut. A loud hum emanated before a whoosh of air, and then silence.

  Poly stared at the wall, shaking her head. “Probably some escape pod. Freaking coward.”

  Joey ran to the door and pulled at the edges, but it wouldn’t open. He kicked the steel, bruising his foot in the process. “Dammit, if I only had my guns.”

  “There are a couple items in here,” Poly said, staring at the open drawer. She pulled out a kitchen knife and turned the blade in the light.

  Joey rushed to the drawer and saw the only other item, a flashlight. He picked it up, a long flashlight with some weight to it. The steel construction might allow for it to be used as a blunt weapon of sorts.

  “We should consider ourselves lucky, I think that man could’ve killed us instantly if he wanted to.” Samantha was seemingly glad Emmett was gone. “So we are in that zombie world?”

  “He said LA,” Poly said.

  “Yeah, don’t you remember?” Joey asked. “This is where it started. I bet this was their research bunker.”

  “Great, grinners originated here?” Poly huffed.

  “Grinners?”

  “Lucas started calling them that and the name stuck.”

  Joey couldn’t help but feel a little jealous when he heard about Lucas and Poly. They shared something while he was with Samantha.

  “So now what?” Samantha asked.

  “We get out of here,” Poly and Joey said, smiling at each other when they realized they’d said it in unison.

  After some searching, they found a staircase leading to the next floor, which turned out to be mostly living quarters. Following the staircase up many floors, the staircase ended at a single steel door.

  Joey placed his hand on the cool handle and turned the knob, sighing in relief when it turned. The door opened into a hallway. A few lights flickered and he saw the distinctive oak tree symbols on the walls. He knew it was a medical wing of some kind.

  “Stay behind me,” he instructed and saw Poly roll her eyes. She probably had a good reason to be annoyed, as she was the one with the knives. Moving forward, he led them down the hallway, shining his flashlight in quick bursts around the dark corners of the hall.

  “Where are we going?” Samantha whispered, grabbing hold of his shirt.

  “We keep going up. There’s got to be another staircase.”

  The light bounced off a glass wall on the left side of the hallway, probably an executive’s office back in the day. They would stand behind their glass wall and watch over the minions below.

  He stopped and put his hand out, signaling them to stop with him. The putrid smell of the half dead wafted around the space. They were close. He didn’t see anything, but heard a shuffle just past the glass.

  Gliding past the glass wall, Joey kept an eye on the window. He didn’t want to shine a light, knowing what the room contained.

  “Something moved in there,” Samantha said and pointed at the glass.

  Joey resigned himself. It was better for her to see one in an aquarium for the first time, versus one lunging its black mouth at her throat. He raised the light onto the glass. What used to be a woman, dressed in a black suit and tied down to a chair, wrestled against her restraints. Her skin looked dull and saggy, it drooped on her face like it was too heavy. Snarling and groaning at them with its black mouth, it shook and convulsed until the chair fell over. Its legs and hands grabbed at the floor, pulling itself closer to them.

  Samantha flattened herself against the wall, sucking in a deep breath. “Is that a grinner?”

  “Yep,” Poly said. “Freaking MM tried to create some next level type human.”

  “To be honest, I thought you were exaggerating. I just didn’t think it could be real.”

  Joey apologized to Samantha. He wished she could have kept the doubt in her mind, but now she knew it was real. Joey wanted to comfort her, but he kept his mind on scanning their surroundings. Harris hadn’t spent many hours in the scene generator training him for moments like this, only to have him lose focus when it mattered.

  They walked past the glass wall, ignoring the thing on the ground, clawing its way across the carpet toward them.

  “Look,” Samantha said. She pointed at something next to a door.

  Joey shined his flashlight on what turned out to be a map. “Fire escape procedures.” He leaned in closer. A star labeled You Are Here followed with an arrow leading through the door behind the map. He studied the drawing for a few more seconds before opening the door. Another set of stairs.

  “The escape path said up,” Samantha said.

  He peered in between the stairs down below and shined his light. He saw motion a few floors down, a person in all black. The grinner looked up with its grayish skin and opened its mouth and yelled. The creature staggered up the stairs toward them, making a clunking sound.

  “What is it?” Samantha asked. “We need to get out of here.” She moved toward the door.

  “Wait,” Joey said. “He’s wearing a guard’s uniform. He could be armed.”

  “Let’s go,” Samantha pleaded.

  “They can’t use weapons. Poly, you think you can take this one out?”

  “Please.” She brandished her long kitchen knife in her hand and stood in a ready stance as the clunk sounds of footsteps grew louder. Only a few flights left.

  Joey stood behind Poly, sucked in a breath and tensed his muscles in case he had to jump in. Poly awaited the thing and when it reached the last step, she lunged forward with a quick stab to the thing’s head. It crumbled to its knees and fell face first on the concrete landing.

  “This is what you’ve been dealing with?” Samantha asked, gasping for air. She held out her hand and pointed at the dead thing on the ground.

  “Yeah,” Joey said.

  “And they just kill you for no reason?”

  “No, they have a reason . . . they’re hungry,” Poly said, wiping her knife on the grinner’s black jacket.

  Joey pulled at the jacket and smiled when he found the gun on its side. A semi-automatic 9mm pistol. He pulled the man’s belt and holster off and wrapped it around his waist. The belt had several clips as well. He breathed out a sigh
of relief at the feeling of a gun at his side. He could stand next to Poly and fight these things.

  “Let’s move,” Joey said.

  A new clunk sound resonated from the steel steps below. He peered over the rail, shining the flashlight into the darkness below. Bodies moved, many of them, climbing the stairs.

  “There’s more?” Samantha whimpered.

  “They never end,” Poly said and walked past Joey up the stairs.

  “Come on, move those legs.” Joey gave Samantha a nudge. She tore away from the edge of the railing and climbed the stairs. A grinner screamed from below, it must have caught a glimpse of them. “Stay to the outside, they won’t see us.”

  They ran up a few flights of stairs and the sound of the grinners diminished.

  “You hear that?” Joey asked, stopping his movement to listen. It was a bell. He strained his ears, looking up to the sound, only to be greeted with the yells of grinners above. Their arms brushed the railing as they staggered down the stairs, maybe a few flights above them. “Crap, they’re coming from above.”

  “What did that map say?” Samantha asked, her shaking hand grasping her neck.

  Poly’s face looked like cold steel. She held a knife in each hand. He knew she could take on whatever came down those stairs.

  “It just showed this staircase led to the top.”

  “There must be another way?”

  Joey glanced up and down the stairs. They were getting close and he wasn’t going to take a chance on grinners coming in both directions. “We need to pick a floor.”

  “Let’s get a bit higher and then we can lock the doors behind us,” Poly said.

  Joey liked the idea and led the way up the next two flights of stairs, stopping on the landing. He glanced up again, they were too close for another floor. The sound of dragging feet and the rotting smell of death surrounded them. They stood in front of a single steel door marked B16.