“We obviously cannot have something like that prowling the ship. It has to be some kind of new strain we’ve not seen yet,” Smokie added. “The deformed seagulls and cleverer human adaptations must just be the tip of the iceberg?”
Fuck, what if it’s been here all along? How could we have missed something like that? She knew there was still dozens of hatches still locked and unexplored. What else is lurking on this ship, just waiting to surprise us? She decided she needed to organize a team to start smashing open hatches, so they weren’t surprised again in the near future. That’s after they dealt with the present situation.
Or should I say, situations. There’s Naomi, who’s still being held by the mysterious, infected man, the creature hiding in the belly of the ship, and the Boss and his lackeys – two of whom are in the process of being changed.
The group reached the steps and started to head up to the superstructure.
“The infected guy, who, by the way, acts like no infected I’ve ever seen before, is working along with whatever that tentacle is attached to,” Terrance said.
“They dragged Naomi into the chamber with them before slamming the door shut,” Alex added.
“Then we were attacked by some people who have a tentacle through their eye socket, with an armoured creature on their chest,” Terrance muttered.
“We need to get some more people sorted and head back down there. As soon as Frank and Lindell return from sorting out the two infected, we will all head back down and fill whatever it is with bullets. No matter how big, or how ugly, I find lead works every time,” Smokie said.
Just then, Emma came bounding down the steps. “Is your radio working?” she asked out of breath.
Smokie pulled it from her belt. “I must’ve hit the mute by accident.” She looked up. “What’s happened?”
“You have to see it to believe it,” Emma stated.
Fuck, now what? went through Smokie’s mind. “Lead the way,” she muttered.
Something else to add to my already long list.
319
Frank, Lindell, and the two men
Inside the superstructure of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Frank was walking behind the Boss. He glimpsed a figure turning the corner, heading towards them. At first, he didn’t recognize the woman as she rushed straight at the closest man. Then he realized it was Soozie.
Huh, didn’t she die on the bridge as we raced away from the island? I saw her tumble over with an infected in tow, went through his mind in a split second. She was moving too fast to see if she’d been infected.
The speed Soozie was moving made her look like a blur in dirty motorbike leathers. Before Frank could call out the Boss was sprawled on his back and sliding back towards him, with blood spraying from his smashed face.
“Soozie, stop!” Frank hollered. Now she’d stopped to raise a rifle he could tell she was uninfected, but her face was contorted in rage.
Her rifle was pointed at the other man. His weapon was empty; all he could do was raise his hands in a sign of surrender.
“Don’t fire!” Lindell shouted. “He’s with us!”
Recognition registered in Soozie’s eyes. The rifle remained pointed at the man’s chest, but she didn’t fire.
“What the fuck is happening?” Soozie shouted back. Her finger was itching to pull the trigger. “Do you have any idea who these bastards are?”
Why the fuck are they protecting these murderers? raced through her mind. They only got on just before us, how could they be working together already?
“We’re just doing what Smokie told us to do,” Lindell stated.
“She’s called a truce,” Frank announced.
Soozie took a second to realize it was the priest talking, due to his changed appearance. She gave it scant consideration.
“They killed a boy; made him jump into the ocean. They tried to kill Stu as well,” she shouted as her chest rose and fell in anger. Spittle flecked from her snarling lips.
Stu? What is she on about; Stu isn’t on the cargo ship? Frank wondered if she was mentally stable. Shit, with what we’ve all been through, are any of us? He took a few steps closer.
Then Stu emerged from around the corner, carrying a child’s limp body in his arms. The girl looked dead. Blood ran from one eye and her chest.
Stu’s eyes were wide with shock, possibly confused as to whom Soozie was talking to.
Fuck, did he find his daughter? Was the girl on the beach his child after all? Jesus, wasn’t she infected?! Frank wondered.
“Did you see any men on the deck? Two of his men are in the process of being changed. We need to toss them overboard before they do,” Lindell stated, hoping to distract Soozie from killing the man with his hands raised in submission.
“What’s happening?” Stu asked. Everyone ignored him.
Soozie didn’t take her eyes off the man who looked like he was about to piss himself. His face was pointing at the floor – eyes averted down, showing obedience.
“We saw them when we first climbed onboard. They’re next to the boarding steps,” Soozie stated.
Frank moved forward, trying to place himself between Soozie and the men. Ten minutes ago, he was willing to shoot them himself. It felt strange protecting them now.
“Let’s sort the infected out first, then we can pick up this conversation when we get back to Smokie. I’m sure she’d be interested in what you have to say.”
“I’ll show them where the bodies are, you take the girl to the mess hall,” she told Stu.
Stu simply nodded and headed down the corridor past them all, glad to be moving away from the two men. He’d missed part of the conversation, but was confident that if Lindell and Frank were there, everything was okay.
As Stu passed, the Boss was just coming around from the strike. He groaned as he stirred on the deck. As he wiped the blood from his split lip, he looked up to see Soozie staring at him as he spat out a tooth and a glob of blood.
“I’m not finished with you yet, motherfucker!” Soozie stated, as she kicked him in the gut.
320
Naomi
Down inside the hull of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Naomi stumbled as she inched her way along the metal corridor. She used her hands to steady herself as she tried not to collapse to the metal decking.
Her knees were weak, and her head was pounding like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Her sight was blurred and disorientating. She’d never been around when a stun grenade went off, but she guessed this is what it would feel like.
She shook her head in confusion as the surroundings registered – the stark metal walls refocused.
I’m outside the chamber. Where’s Cain and the creature – the so-called Queen?
She tumbled to her knees, while panting as if just finishing a marathon.
Her throat was killing her – it was so raw it felt like she’d been vomiting razors and crushed glass.
She gripped her head. Her mind was jumbled and spinning. She could also hear other voices – so many voices, over and over, as if the whole world was screaming inside her head.
She pitched forward and vomited. A slimy black bile poured over the decking.
What the fuck? She spat out the dregs in her mouth.
Naomi hunched over on her hands and knees as her head pounded and the thousands of voices screamed at once, while she looked down at the black liquid that she’d just expelled from her body.
Then the black goo twitched and moved.
Jesus! What is Gods name?
She sprang backwards, as if on a huge rubber band, skidding away from the convulsing black mess that was churning towards the metal wall under its own power.
Then everything came crashing down as her head cleared.
The creature has infected me!
321
Bachman, Emma, Ralph, Pete and Tes
Zone 6
The underground bunker
Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania
Bachman was leaning against the counter. The smell of the burnt flesh was nauseating. What with all the running around, hiding, fighting, and stress, he was feeling exhausted. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten a proper meal, and even though he knew what the smell was, to his olfactory senses, it smelt like cooked pork.
A barbecued pulled pork sandwich with slaw and jalapeños, with French fries, he mused as his mouth watered. He envisioned himself taking a big bite from the dripping sandwich. He was snapped back to the moment at hand by Tes.
“Shut up, everyone.” Tes pointed at the door.
Everyone froze.
The only sound coming from the room was a moaning emanating from Pete as he twitched on the floor. His groaning was muffled by Tes’ hand, which was clamped over his mouth.
Tes was sure she’d heard something – a crashing sound from outside. But as she strained her hearing, she heard nothing, just a low moaning from Pete.
Ralph was stood with his feet set and body tensed ready to run. The problem was, there was nowhere to run. Sweat poured down his round face.
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Ralph stated, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and smeared it on his oily overalls.
“I heard something,” Tes replied. “There was movement of some kind in the corridor.
Emma cocked her head to one side, as if straining her hearing. She slowly got to her feet and rested the axe on the chair before heading over to the apartment’s door.
“We’re all just hungry and tired,” Bachman stated. “We need to reach the weapons, but we also need rest.”
They all had assault rifles, but he knew to stand any real chance, they needed some bigger guns. What they now had on them would make a world of difference, but if he were going to eventually attempt to reach the surface, he wanted more firepower. Also, the weapon’s zone had vehicles which they could take up the main elevator. They could stock a truck with everything they needed.
To Bachman, the bunker now felt like a tomb, and he knew after what everyone else had witnessed, they felt the same way.
He looked down at Pete as he was slowly coming around from the hit administered by Emma. “Pete needs to regain his strength, and we could do with a short break. We will rest two at a time while the other two keeps a lookout and deals with Pete.”
Emma leaned her back against the door. “I’ll take first watch with Ralph,” she stated. “I’m too wired to sleep, and wh–” She was interrupted by a loud thud on the door that shook the hinges and made her fall forward.
322
Smokie, Terrance, Caroline, Donna, Alex, and Mollee
Inside the superstructure of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Smokie stood looking through the binoculars. She shifted her feet and leaned forward slightly.
“My God, is that what I think it is?” She pulled the binoculars closer to her eyes, as if it would in someway help.
Sue sat in the captain’s chair with Tia on her lap. Her large magnum rested on the nautical maps.
Emma stood next to Smokie.
“Those were my exact words,” Emma stated. “And yes, it is what you think it is.”
They all ignored the infected gulls slamming into the main window. Even the small dog was bored with the birds and only gave a low growl every now and then.
“We are a little closer than when we first noticed it, but your eyes are not deceiving you,” Sue said.
Smokie continued to hold onto the binoculars. “I never heard of one in these waters?”
“Neither have we. But who knows what has happened over the last month or so while the spores spread around the world.
Smokie lowered the binoculars.
“This gives us some options,” Smokie stated. “We need to decide what we are going to do.” She fiddled with the head of one of her axes that was pushed into her belt. She passed the binoculars back to Emma.
“What with Terrance and Lindell and the others stating there’s a large creature in the hold below, and the gulls everywhere, and possibly more infected on the ship, maybe that,” she said nodding out the window, “is the answer we’re looking for.”
“Wait! What creature below deck?” Sue asked.
“I’ll explain everything. We have a while before we reach it, so put this thing in park, or whatever it is we do to slow it down, and I will gather everyone in the mess hall and let them know what our options are.”
323
Frank, Lindell, and two men
Inside the superstructure of the cargo ship
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
The Boss was wobbly on his feet, and held onto his ribs. “I think the crazy bitch broke a couple?” he said to Eddy – the only other surviving member of his crew who was partially carrying him along.
“Good!” Soozie stated with a smile. “Shame I didn’t shoot you when I first saw you.”
Frank winced when he’d heard the man’s ribs crack, but he didn’t feel sorry for him. Karma catches up with us all; he thought. I’m certainly getting my just desserts now, along with everyone else on this planet for the way we’ve been treating her.
He understood Soozie’s reasoning, and anger, but he also knew a man like the Boss was just the type of person they needed on their side – a man willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Hadn’t he somehow procured a coastguard’s cutter ship, and rallied a small army to his side? Obviously, Smokie sees the same in him, else she wouldn’t have agreed to a truce.
They’d opened the hatch and checked outside on the deck, and the infected men were nowhere in sight. That meant there was two more new strains running around to worry about. They didn’t venture outside because of the seagulls. It was obvious the creatures were not lying near the boarding ladder, so there was no point risking venturing outside and getting dive-bombed by the infected birds.
They were now headed back towards the main superstructure to report to Smokie. They all held their weapons up ready, in case the two creatures attacked.
Lindell explained to Soozie about the new strain, and how the creatures seemed intelligent. All Soozie could do was shake her head. “As if this crazy shit isn’t bad enough,” she’d muttered.
They reached the main superstructure and were heading up the main stairwell when they heard the commotion ahead.
324
Bachman, Emma, Ralph, Pete and Tes
Zone 6
The underground bunker
Quirauk Mountain, Pennsylvania
Bachman watched in horror as Emma fell forward as the door behind her splintered around the hinges and lock. He grabbed the Barrett rifle off the side, knocking the iron to the floor, as he swung the barrel around to aim at the door.
Emma scuttled along on her ass, moving away from the entrance. After the initial slam, there was no other sound. She stood up and quickly grabbed the Israeli galil rifle. On the chair was the axe. Pete’s blood still stained the blade.
She looked down at Pete’s body as he started to slowly wake up. His eyes were rolling in their sockets from the pain. He lay groaning like a wild animal. He was between her and the door.
Emma prized her eyes away from Pete and concentrated on the door. She slammed a hand to load the clip and wedged it against her shoulder.
Whatever comes through I’m gonna fill with lead. Now I’ve got a real weapon, let’s see how those fuckers like it?
Tes was on her feet and fumbling with the Russian assault rifle. She managed to cock the unfamiliar weapon. She then moved to the side to make sure she wasn’t in the line of fire when all hell broke loose when whatever had slammed into the door burst through.
Ralph’s face flushed, as he looked around in panic. He knew the apartment better than anyone, and he knew there was no other way out apart from the door that something was on the other side of. He gripped his Jerich
o 9 mm in his thickset, meaty hands. He still had strength, so if this was the end, he was going down fighting. He looked down at Pete as he groaned on the floor – in a world of pain, not realizing what was transpiring around him.
I’m not going out like that – piece by piece. I’m gonna go out swinging. I will fight to the bitter end.
Ralph took a few steps towards the door, and made sure Pete was behind him before he squared himself against what was coming through.
He turned off the safeties and cocked each weapon.
If this is the final showdown, then Gene and Debbe – the names he’d given his two guns, named after an obscure country band who sung his all-time favourite song, Sometime – would see him proud. He aimed Gene and Debbe at the entrance.
“It’s time to sing for daddy…”
325
Stu and the young girl
On the cargo ship.
Somewhere off the shore in New York State
Stu moved as fast as he could. He was nervous on his own. His hands were full while carrying the injured child, whose body jostled around as if she were dead. He didn’t have time to stop to check she was still breathing. The image of the two men lying on deck with the creatures attached to their faces spurred him on.
When is this world going to give us a fucking break? It’s one thing after another.
He was aware of the weight of the handgun in his waistband, pulling his wet jeans down.
“So cold…” he muttered through clenched teeth. His trainers were squelching as he jogged along. His core body temperature was dangerously low.
If vengeance was his thing, Stu would have loved to toss the leader of the crazy boat men over the side of the ship. But at the moment, he had other things on his mind.
He repositioned the girl in his arms – it was like carrying a large sack of potatoes.
The Sixth Extinction America Omnibus [Books 1-12] Page 65
