Salvation (Cascade Book 8)

by Phil Maxey

  Sitting on the tiled floor with the flashlight illuminating the cupboards by her side, she pulled back the metal ring on the can, sniffed, then tentatively started munching on one of the black olives inside.

  Her mind returned to her dream.

  Was that Elcher? Or something pretending to be him?

  It struck her as too much of a coincidence that just as she was having that dream, the aliens were above the town.

  She soon grew tired of the olives, and was too awake to sleep again. Also the idea of her dream state somehow being used as a beacon made her uneasy about resting again. She went back into the bedroom, got her things together and was soon back at the front door of the apartment. Pulling the chair away, she walked out into the hallway and let her Cascader senses tell her where Clovis was.

  She looked at the end of the hall, her light showing a smart but dusty corridor.

  A door opened and the big man appeared. “We leaving?”

  “Yup, get your shit together, we’re back on the road in five.”

  As she sat in the pickup glancing at the sky, she almost laughed at the absurdity of her sitting there waiting for Clovis to finish whatever he was doing in the apartment and come down and join her.

  “The odd couple,” she whispered and promptly let out a laugh. A sound came from her left and she started the engine. After he was inside, she pulled away and smiled to herself. She knew there was a reason why he was with her, now all she needed to do was find out what it was.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Fiona knelt next to a wide concrete pillar. Her NVG’s were pulled down over her eyes, and the world in front of her was a vague mix of dark green shapes.

  “How much further?” She said to Michael behind her.

  “Not far, just a mile along this road, behind the buildings we can see from here.”

  She clicked on her radio. “Sam, what’s the situation like where you are? Over.”

  After a few seconds Sam’s voice came from her radio. “All clear so far. We’re moving along Tomkins road, east bound. About fifteen minutes out. Over.”

  She looked up at the night sky. Bright pinpoints of light looked back at her, but thankfully none were moving.

  Looking back to the street she listened for any noises, but there was only deathly silence. She eyed her next point to run too, then ran along the sidewalk keeping close to the building to her left.

  Michael, along with Stan, Cynthia and three soldiers ran behind her.

  Soon a set of apartments loomed over them.

  Fiona glanced up for any signs that they were still inhabited but no drapes were moving, and each window just contained darkness. She coughed. There was dust in the air.

  Michael cleared his throat, the look of concern being clear on his face, even behind the green hues of her night vision.

  He took off running along the sidewalk.

  “Michael!” She shouted after him.

  He was already twenty yards ahead when she noticed he had stopped on the corner, and then sprinted forward across the street. When she arrived at the same spot, she coughed again for the air was thick with dust from fallen masonry. They all looked up at a five-story apartment block that was now four storys. Walls and windows were missing from the other floors, and the remains of people’s lives were now lying across the street.

  By the time she looked towards the entrance lobby, Michael was disappearing into it. She clicked on her radio. “Michael, hold on. We’re right behind you. Over.”

  Taking a brief look around her, she raced forward, weaving around the pieces of building and quickly got to the main door. She caught a glow from a flashlight disappear around a corner, and turned on her own. Running inside she was soon inside a stairwell, climbing the stairs as quickly as she could. Looking up she could see Michael’s light bouncing off the walls above her. “Michael! Wait,” she shouted up.

  Then his light was gone and the stairwell above her plunged back into darkness. She ran up the steps, stopping on the fourth floor. The stairs leading any further were completely blocked by falling masonry.

  She heard the others enter the bottom of the stairwell. “Up here!” She shouted, then pulled open the door to the fourth floor. A wall of dust hit her and the sound of a child crying. She staggered forward into a hallway, trying to keep her arm across her mouth, but stopping every few steps to cough. “Where are you?” She shouted into the mist around her.

  A faint breeze washed across her face giving her lungs some respite and she pushed towards its source, the child’s anguished cries getting louder.

  The beam of a flashlight flashed across a nearby wall from an open doorway. Fiona walked towards it, flipping her NVG’s to her forehead. As she made it to the entrance to the apartment, she stopped and held onto the doorframe. The entire far two walls of what appeared to once be a living room were missing, and the street outside was visible. Part of the floor and apartment above had collapsed into this apartment, and in the center, kneeling with a child in his arms was Michael looking into the rubble.

  Fiona walked slowly forward not being sure of how secure the floor was below her feet. “Michael. Who is that? Is that Megan? Where is—” She followed Michael’s gaze into the pile of rubble, finally resting on Hannah’s lifeless eyes looking up at the open sky above them. She went to move in Hannah’s direction.

  “She’s dead,” said Michael.

  “Okay. How is Megan? Is she injured?”

  “No…I don’t think so.”

  Noise came from the hallway, and Stan, Cynthia and one of the soldier’s faces appeared. Fiona put her hand up to them, then knelt next to Michael, glancing over Megan. She appeared unhurt, but was covered in dust.

  She put her hand on Michaels shoulder. “We have to go. It’s dangerous here. It could all come crashing down.”

  Michael nodded then slowly got to his feet, his eyes not leaving Hannah’s body.

  “When it’s safer, we’re come back for her, I promise.”

  He turned and walked out of the apartments entrance, past the others that were standing silent.

  *****

  The pickup that Sam, Sean and two other Cascaders were in bumped along a dirt road. Sam pushed down on the gas pedal. “It still up there?”

  Sean strained to see into the night sky above them. A glowing light pulsed amongst the stars. “Yup.”

  “We’re not going to make it!” Said a nervous young man in the rear seat, his hands between his legs.

  “We’ll make it,” said Sean. He glanced at a woman also in the rear, who seemed lost in a daydream. She seemed oblivious to their situation and was looking out the side window. “Agatha, you alright?”

  She looked at him with a flat smile and nodded.

  “Good, I don’t think it’s far.”

  “Just a few miles more—” Sam turned sharply from the dirt road surface to a concrete one, sending mud and pebbles flying.

  “Couldn’t they just take us from the car? Like beam us up or something?” Said the anxious man.

  “Maybe they’re curious were we are going,” said Sam.

  General Trow’s voice came from Sam’s radio. “They still on you Sam? Over.”

  “Yes. Over.’

  “How much further?”

  “Few more minutes. Over.”

  “Good luck. Over.”

  “Thanks.” Sam steered the pickup around the winding bend, which steadily rose.

  “I see the smoke,” said Sean.

  A dark plume bellowed into the sky from the valley.

  The man arched his head back, trying to see where the green light was. “I don’t see it! Where is it!”

  “Ralph, just keep your shit together, we’re almost there,” said Sean.

  They drove through an entrance. The gate being already open. The concrete road descended quickly. Through the trees, the power station which converted the power from the dam, sat ominously at the back of a small parking lot. The pickup bumped around and then they drove onto the le
vel ground. A few cars were already parked. They skidded to a stop near the entrance to the station.

  “We’re here, everyone out and inside, as quickly as you can!” Said Sam grabbing his semi-automatic rifle.

  They all bundled out. The young man forgetting to close the car door behind him and soon they were inside a dark hallway.

  Sam clicked on his radio. “Made it. Over.” No response came from the other end.

  He and the woman clicked on their flashlights.

  Sam walked forward. “Stay close to me. Do not deviate!”

  “Yeah yeah we got it.” Said Ralph.

  After navigating a series of corridors, they stepped onto a gantry of a cavernous space. A cool wind blew past them. Across the floor fifteen feet below were the dam’s generators. But that’s not what everyone was looking at, for the roof was missing from the middle of the large room, allowing the perfect clear night sky to be seen.

  Sam took a deep breath. “Let’s do this then.”

  They all walked along the metal flooring, apart from Ralph who’s hands stayed firmly gripped to the guard rail.

  Sean looked back realizing they were one person short. “Ralph! Come on!”

  “I…I don’t think I can do it.”

  Sean went to run back when Agatha turned and walked back before he could. She placed her hand softly on Ralphs hand and smiled.

  Ralph took a deep breath. “Okay…”

  They both turned and joined the others.

  They all walked down the stairs, which ran along the wall and were soon on the ground, level with the huge generators.

  The light wind was the only noise in the entire chamber as they all stopped.

  “Now what?” Said Ralph.

  “Now we—”

  A bright flash momentarily blinded all of them. When their vision returned a huge figure bathed in purple light was standing ten yards from them.

  “Now!” Shouted someone in another part of the room which became alive with the clatter of gunfire as a torrent of bullets converged on the Hulathen.

  Sam and the Cascaders dived behind the nearest generator.

  The alien fired off its own particle beam weapon filling the air with streams of orange focused light.

  Soldiers, positioned all around the room fired upon the huge being in the center. A few of them ran forward and fired harpoons attached to nets which flew above and crashed down upon it, but instead of it being trapped it spun around pulling the soldiers weapons from them.

  The huge alien walked forward as hundreds of projectiles ricochets off its armor, grabbing one of the soldiers and throwing him through the air. It then turned towards Sam who was crouching and firing at it as well.

  “Now! Do it now!” He shouted at the Cascaders behind him.

  “We are!” Shouted Sean.

  “It’s not working! Try—” Sam looked up at the twelve foot high creature, its armor glowing amongst the deadly fireworks around it. It then brought its arm, with the strange molded metallic weapon attached to it around so it was just a few feet from Sam’s head and those around him.

  Thoughts of Mary and the kids past like a slideshow through his mind as he looked into the cat like eyes barely visible through the monsters helmet. He went to stand when a white flash threw him backwards, landing against the nearby wall.

  The deafening constant pops of gunfire were muffled and replaced with a ringing. He shook his head and looked back to where he just was. The Hulathen was down on one knee still fighting, but its laser beam like weapon was now firing less frequently and its armor was less bright.

  “You’re mine fucker,” said Sam. He got to his feet then ran forward, as he did Sean spotted him and ran forward too. They both got to the creature at the same time, each man grabbing one of the alien’s arms. Other soldiers appeared and ran towards them as they struggled to wrestle it to the ground. Soon the Hulathen was lost below a sea of blows from rifle butts and metal bars.

  After a few moments the fury ended and silence returned to the control station.

  The soldiers stepped back, the alien motionless, lying on the ground.

  Sam and Sean looked at each other, both holding tight onto one of the Hulathen’s arms and started laughing.

  As they both lay on their backs, looking upwards at the gaping hole in the ceiling, they realized there was something blocking a large part of the night sky, for floating silently above them was the aliens black, cube like craft.

  “You see that right?” Said Sam to Sean.

  “Yup.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Abbey had decided to take them back onto the highway, as they were now well outside of chopper range, and after they had been driving for an hour the sky was a blend of orange hues signaling the start of a new day.

  As the thick forests of West Virginia flowed past she racked her brain trying to think of what plan the man next to her, had in his head. Whatever it was, she knew it wasn’t good. But she no longer had a weapon to easily kill him, and the chances of taking him down with one blow from a heavy object was risky at the least and probably would be fatal for her if she tried.

  But this was the day they would make it back to the outpost and she wasn’t going to drive through those gates to greet Brad with Clovis by her side, unless there was a good reason for it.

  Factories and homes starting showing up with greater frequency, and prominent green signs heralded the city of Charleston not far ahead.

  “So when do you want me to drop you off?” She said.

  Clovis glanced at her. “Ain’t no one going to be dropping me off.”

  “So you expect me to just arrive with you at the outpost in Kentucky.”

  “Yup.”

  She glanced at him as the road rose slightly, and apartment blocks and office buildings appeared to their left. “Why do you want to go to the outpost?”

  He sighed. “Got to pay my dues.”

  Dues? He wants to hand himself in?

  It was the one possibility she never gave any credit too.

  “After all this time, now you want to hand yourself in?”

  “Yup.”

  She went to speak but each phrase seemed insufficient, and instead just a frustrated puff came from her. “Okay…” She wasn’t sure if she believed him, but it was such a crazy concept, that maybe it actually was true.

  As they drove over the Kanawha river the sun glinted off the water, and they felt the beasts writhing amongst the waves below. Each had sensed an increasing volume of E.L.F’s the further they moved to the southwest and it leant weight to Abbey’s theory that the Hulathen were sweeping across the country starting in the northeast. That meant the humans and a lot of the creatures still had a chance.

  The suburban landscape continued for another ten miles or so until they crossed the state line and were back into hills, this time belonging to Kentucky. She glanced at the man next to her and tried to figure out a plan which did not involve him getting shot. Not that she minded, but she just didn’t want to get shot along with him.

  I’ll just let them know on the radio when we are closer. Should be ok…

  After mile after mile of forests and some pauses due to E.L.F’s which passed by, or flew over their heads, the highway and landscape around them started to flatten out.

  It wasn’t long before they were passing into the outskirts of the city where she first met Miles. She wondered if anyone was still living in the burnt out shell of Arena town.

  As she drove through the center of town, she thought about driving past the large block like building, but thought better of it. Instead she continued on by, eventually turning to the south.

  As they neared the town north of the outpost she grew increasingly anxious. If he produced a knife and stabbed her as she drove, there wouldn’t be much she could do about it.

  “We’re only about thirty minutes from the outpost.”

  “Okay.”

  “So I’m going to radio ahead and let them know we’re almost there.
That way they don’t shoot you, or me by accident when they see you.”

  “Sure.”

  She reached down beneath her feet and fumbled around in her pack until she found her radio, she went to click it on to talk, when she remembered the lumbering mound of teeth and claw which her passenger controlled, and which she had seen intermittently over the course of the past hundred, miles keeping up behind them. “What we going to do with that thing you call ‘Tiger’?”

  Clovis smirked. “He’ll play nice.”

  “He won’t be allowed in the compound.”

  “Sure.”

  Abbey frowned then clicked on her radio. “This is Abbey Reisner, coming from the Boston camp. Is anyone out there from the outpost? Over.”

  There was a few seconds of static then an excited sounding young man responded. “We hear you Ms. Reisner! Whereabouts are you? Over.”

  Abbey explained and then asked for Brad to be put on. After a few moments his voice came from her speaker.

  “Abbey! Are you safe? Over.”

  “I’m fine. I’m about twenty minutes out, coming in from the north. I have someone with me. Over.”

  “Clovis? Over.”

  The man next to her, looked across.

  “Yes. Over.”

  “Okay. Come in through the main gates as always. Over.”

  As the noonday sun beamed above them, the pickup drove up the winding lane, until the walls of the outpost and a sky-high radio mast came into view. It had been sometime since she had last seen it, but she was still shocked at how much it had changed. Look out towers sat at one hundred yard intervals, and multi-storey buildings crowded the interior, like a small town. There was even a dome or two, which she recognized as containing radar dishes.

  They approached the gate which she could tell was already open. “Don’t make any sudden movements,” she said to Clovis.