Extinction NZ (Book 3): The Five Pillars

by Smith, Adrian J.

  He squeezed the trigger of the Glock at the head peeking over the railing. The head snapped back and dropped out of sight. He felt Yalonda tug his arm and he pivoted, then followed the staggering group of prisoners.

  Pig looked around. The corridor had smooth concrete walls and soft orange lights glowed along its length. He scanned the doors that lined the passageway, fearful of the threats they posed.

  Too many entries.

  As if the Variants read his mind, a door twenty metres away burst open, expelling more white Variants and two new horrors. They had the torso of a Variant but the body and legs of a weta. Mandibles extended from their mouths. Pig swung his Glock up and fired a couple of rounds as he ran for the door Dee was holding open.

  “Forget them! Hurry!” she called out.

  Several of the former prisoners were lagging behind. The teenager with the prosthetic leg ran back to help them. Pig glimpsed white Variants behind him. The white Variants shrieked and, with an incredible burst of speed, sprinted at the retreating humans. Pig made up the last couple of metres and turned, firing the last of his magazine. He felt a whoosh of air as Dee brushed past him, then gawked at the sight of her swinging a katana, cutting down the leading creatures.

  Variants bounced off the walls and overran the stragglers, tearing into their flesh. Pig jammed a fresh magazine in and unloaded into the mob, screaming.

  So many noises surrounded him, Pig was having trouble focusing on the important sounds. Shouts. Screams and shrieks. Gunfire. Metal cutting through flesh.

  Jack flashed past him swinging his machete, and hacked into a Variant’s head. Pig glanced down at Yalonda’s hatchets and grabbed one. He joined Jack in chopping down the lead group. With their combined efforts, they finished them off. Jack pulled a dead Variant off Dee. She then kicked it off her katana and took Jack’s offered hand.

  Pig swivelled his head, looking down the corridor. White Variants stood thirty metres away. They parted, allowing the lady in white through. Dr Marks.

  “There is nowhere to run. Nowhere to go. Your attempts to escape are futile.”

  Jack pushed Dee and waved away the remaining humans. Pig did a quick head count. Ten. The dog barked and snarled at Dr Marks. Make that eleven.

  Jack glanced at Pig. Pig nodded. He knew what Jack was thinking. Die on your feet.

  “We’re leaving, you crazy bitch!” Jack shouted.

  “We’ll just chase you down.”

  Pig watched the exchange out of the corner of his eye. He was assessing the Variants and the distance between them. The distance to the door. Variables and possibilities ran through his head. He glanced back at Dr Marks. She had her hands on her hips, glaring at them.

  Crack!

  Dr Marks’s head exploded in a shower of brain matter, skull and blood. Her body stood rigid and upright for several seconds, blood spurting from the stump that was once her head, before toppling over and hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

  Pig gasped. Standing a few metres behind and to one side of the slain scientist stood a man grasping a rifle in his shaking hands, a young girl clutched to his legs.

  “Run!” the shooter shouted, before firing his weapon at the nearest Variant.

  — 26 —

  Jack gulped at the sight of the scientist’s head exploding. He had seen plenty of Variants die in such a manner, but never a human. He shook away his revulsion and reacted. The shooter had a little girl clutching his legs. There was no way he was going to leave either of them to a horrible fate. He was a Renegade and proud of it. Rescue and recon.

  Taking advantage of the white Variants’ confusion, Jack swung his rifle up and quickly shot the two creatures standing closest to the shooter.

  Yalonda, Ken, Boss and Dee joined in. They took down several more of the Variants before the creatures comprehended what was happening.

  Jack called out to the shooter, “Hurry! C’mon!”

  The shooter batted away a lunging Variant and sprinted towards him. Jack kept firing until his rifle clicked empty, but still the monsters came for them. Finally, the shooter and the little girl made it through and brushed past him. Jack felt a hand on his shoulder, tugging him backwards. Drawing his Glock, he shot a white Variant at point blank range. A gaping hole opened up above its right eye, showering Jack in black gunk. He snapped his mouth shut and prayed none of the sludge entered his bloodstream.

  The door slammed shut behind him and Dee and Boss jammed metal pipes through the large handle. Desperate, he searched for something heavy to further block their pursuers. He smiled to himself despite the growing fear. Here they were, back in the same maintenance room they had escaped from all those months ago. He cast his eyes around to familiarise himself with the room.

  Barrels of chemicals were stacked in neat rows to his right. Pipes of every size ran from the far wall across the ceiling above his head and back into the laboratory. To his immediate left, he spotted several stacks of LPG tanks.

  Jack ejected his spent magazine and inserted a fresh one. “Boss, Yalonda. Give us a hand with these.” He pointed to the orange chemical barrels.

  Grunting with the exertion, they rolled the barrels in front of the door. Jack sucked in a couple of breaths. He couldn’t believe that he was still going. He hadn’t had more than an hour’s sleep since the day before yesterday.

  I’m running on fumes.

  Dee grasped his hand, her touch centering him and clearing his tired mind.

  The door rattled and groaned under the weight of the Variants slamming into it.

  Jack shook his head. “Stay alert, everyone.”

  He glanced up at the last door. Beyond it lay the back entrance that led into the old mine tunnel and finally out to the Karangahake Gorge. It was a stretch, but having been here before, he knew the path, knew its dangers and knew the threat that lay outside.

  Ken and Yalonda stepped over, with Boss holding Aroha’s hand close behind. Max, forever the faithful dog, nuzzled his hand.

  Jack grinned at the sight of the ragtag group. Survivors. Fighting until they drew their last breaths. The remaining freed prisoners huddled by the far door, the shooter and the little girl crouched next to them. He made a mental note to question the shooter about who he was and where the hell he’d come from. He searched out Dee’s eyes. She looked as exhausted as he felt.

  “How far is this Pa, Jack?” Ken asked, breaking him out from his thoughts.

  “Two, three clicks at the most. Tough terrain, though.”

  “I don’t think many will make that. What about calling in the cavalry?”

  Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at Boss.

  Boss shrugged his shoulders and groaned. “I’ll try. We’re how far under the mountain, though?” He sighed and pulled the radio from his pack.

  Jack ignored him and turned his attention back to Ken and the others. He had an idea forming. A way to stop the Variants running them down, a way to give them a chance to reach safety.

  He let out a breath to focus. “We have to destroy this place. Burn it to the ground. Crush the evil bastards.”

  Dee, Yalonda and Ken nodded in agreement.

  He pointed at the LPG tanks. “Using those.”

  “What about all these chemicals?” Dee said. “We don’t want to cause an ecological disaster to this area. Hone and his people live here.”

  “We can blow the tunnel entrance with this,” Yalonda said, holding up a couple of bricks of C4.

  Jack and Dee both nodded, and a smile escaped Jack’s lips.

  Ken held out his hand and took one of the bricks off Yalonda, weighing it. Jack watched him as he looked around the room. “Any of you know much about LPG gas?” Ken asked.

  “Just that it goes Kaboom!” Jack replied, grinning.

  Ken moved to the door that the Variants were still hurling themselves against. Jack had shut the sound out.

  “What are you thinking, Ken?”

  “We place a brick here and set the timer for three minutes, and place o
ne in the tunnel for ten seconds earlier. Should give us enough time to get everyone out and seal the cave before the main explosion.”

  Jack rubbed the stubble on his chin and glanced at Yalonda and Dee for confirmation. They nodded. “Let’s do it,” he said.

  With a plan decided, everyone set about their tasks. Yalonda and Ken rigged up the C4 with timers and placed them in position. Jack and Dee rolled the LPG tanks over and lined them up against the entrance wall. He spotted valves on the gas pipes and checked that they were all open.

  The more Kaboom! fuel the better.

  A blood-curdling shriek cut through the room. Jack snapped up his AR-15 and searched the room for the source. Slithering out of an air vent high up, the Variant shrieked again. Jack noticed its eyes were blood red, and even from this distance he could see its white skin had turned blotchy with bruises. It struggled to squeeze through the small opening.

  Max barked, growled and ran around, searching for a way up to the monster. Jack whistled and the dog barked once more before returning to his side, eyes still trained on the beast.

  The shooter yelled something inaudible at the Variant, screaming as he threw his rifle. It whistled through the air and clanged harmlessly off a pipe. He rushed for the outer door and, before Jack could shout a warning, punched in the code and swung it open.

  Jack stared in horror at the figure of the man in a green suit standing in the tunnel beyond. Time slowed down around him. He saw the knife in Green Suit’s hand and watched him thrust it into the shooter’s stomach. The girl screamed and ran back to the Renegades.

  White-skinned Variants streamed around Green Suit, who thrust the knife again into the shooter. Jack finally snapped from his trance and pushed off in a sprint, his calf muscles burning with every step. He reached the girl just as a Variant loomed over her. He scooped her up in one hand and sliced the beast with his red-handled machete. His aim was true and the blade cut deep into its chest, spilling gooey blood. The creature howled at Jack and slashed at him with its claws.

  Max ran in and latched on to the Variant’s leg, tearing the papery flesh on its ankle. The white beast opened its sucker mouth, expelling a putrid stench that made Jack gag. He shoved the Glock in its open mouth and pulled the trigger.

  A flash of green flew past Jack. Dee was swinging her katana, slicing through any screeching beast as they tried to reach the shooter and the girl. His eyes met hers and he gave her a quick nod.

  Variant bodies began to pile up in the doorway as the Renegades fired into the screeching mass. Amidst the chaos, Jack gawked at the sight of the shooter crawling amongst all the beasts, his life-blood spilling on the floor. Strangely, the Variants were ignoring him.

  Jack switched his attention back to the creatures and dropped another one. Searching for more targets, he saw the way was clear. He looked over at Boss. The teenager had both young girls behind him, protecting them from the gnashing mouths of the monsters.

  “Renegades! Time to go!”

  Jack took point with Dee, Boss and the girls close behind. He turned, searching out Yalonda and Ken. They were fiddling with the timers on the C4.

  “Let’s go! C’mon!”

  Yalonda glanced up. “Timer’s stuffed.”

  “Meaning?”

  “The C4 will have to be triggered manually.”

  Jack sighed and closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. This whole mission had been one shitty situation after another. It was meant to be a simple recon and retrieval mission. Simpson had sent them off chasing ghosts, resulting in them losing Chang and the staff sergeant himself. They’d been constantly chased by Variants, and were now trying to escape this cursed lab run by some mad scientist.

  Jack was mulling over what to do and barely heard the gargled voice of the shooter. He opened his eyes and crouched down next to the man. He had his hands pushed against his stomach. Blood continued to seep through his fingers and drip to the floor. “Dee. See if you can do anything for him.”

  The shooter shook his head as she stood over him with her medic bag. “It’s too late for me. He got me good. I can feel it.”

  Jack glanced over to the door and the body of the green man slumped on the floor. The knife was sticking out of his neck, right where the jugular would be. “Looks like you got him better.”

  The shooter laughed. Specks of blood coughing out. “Give me the detonator. I’ll blow up this place of misery and death. I deserve to go down with it after what I’ve done to survive.”

  Jack searched the man’s eyes for a hint of what he was talking about. “What things?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He looked up at Jack. “I’ll gladly give my life so you and humanity have a chance to survive this madness. Better to end it quickly than bleed out. Every crappy thing I did, I did it for her, you know, my daughter. My Sophie.” The shooter grabbed Jack’s leg. “Can you give her the life I couldn’t.” He gasped, and his eyes found his daughter’s. “Sophie. I love you. I’m sorry for what happened to you. I tried baby. I tried.”

  Sophie broke away from Boss and hugged her father, sobbing into his bloody chest.

  The man sought Jack’s eyes again. “Please take care of her. And give the army these,” he pleaded, and held out a crinkled photograph and some dog tags. Jack grimaced and looked at the photo. He knew it without looking. Chang had proudly shown it to everyone. His wife and daughter, smiling back at the camera.

  “I will… Sorry, I don’t know your name?”

  “Derek. It’s Derek,” he gasped, and his body shuddered.

  Jack reached out and took the detonator off Yalonda, then handed it to Derek.

  Howls and shrieks reverberated around the room. Jack snapped his head up, searching for the beasts. Spotting no targets, he returned his attention to the dying man. “Count to one hundred and flick this switch before pressing the button. Got it?”

  Derek nodded, tears streaming down his face. A thud sounded from the hallway door, and it groaned in its hinges.

  “Jack, we have to go!” Dee called out. She picked up Sophie, and the girl wrapped her legs around her. Jack smiled at Derek and patted his shoulder.

  “We’ll remember you on ANZAC Day, and during Matariki.”

  With one last look at the man he was leaving behind, Jack turned and led the Renegades out of the cursed lab with its abominations and its halls of death.

  Water splashed over his boots as he ran down the tunnel, his knees protesting with every impact on the rocky ground. He could hear the thumps of boots behind him. The sound always comforted him. He glanced back to see the remaining prisoners trudging in the middle. Jack vowed to do the best he could to get them all to safety.

  The sun glowed bright as the Renegades exited the mine. Jack took a deep breath, savouring the fresh air the bush provided. He picked up scents of lemonwood and beech, of totara and rimu. Of peat and decaying leaves. He loved that smell and never grew tired of it. Glancing at his watch, he frowned.

  Where’s the explosion?

  Dee moved up alongside, Sophie still in her arms. Max nuzzled against his legs, his ears flat on his head.

  “Did you wire the C4 up properly?” Jack asked, looking at Yalonda and Ken.

  “Are you questioning my Kaboom! ability?” Yalonda shot back, annoyance in her voice.

  A low rumble rolled out like thunder, followed by an ear-splitting kaboom. Jack caught Dee, Sophie and Max in a hug, protecting them from the shockwave as it blew dirt and debris out into the bush. Boss and Ken had moved the prisoners down the track and away from the entrance, but the noise still caused them to clamp their hands over their ears.

  Jack shook his head, trying to shake away the ringing. As his ears cleared, the sound of a grizzly voice crackled over his radio.

  “…Renegade 1, do you receive? Over.”

  He grinned and thumbed his radio. “Captain? Receiving. Over.”

  “Jack? Is that you?”

  He smiled at his wife holding the little girl hugged to her. “Affirma
tive. Over.”

  “You lucky bastards! It’s so good to hear your voice. We’ve been searching for you for hours.”

  “We met a little resistance from some locals, but we retrieved the logbook. Over.”

  “Exemplary, Jack. Can you get to the summit? We can land. Hurry. You have multiple hostiles incoming. Over.”

  “On our way. Wilco. Out.”

  Jack looked around at the exhausted Renegades, the two frightened girls and the men and women who had been held captive. He gritted his teeth and lifted up his cap, wiping his brow before turning to face the gathered survivors.

  — 27 —

  The beautiful New Zealand bush filled with greens, blacks and browns whipped past Dee as she ran up the muddy track. Before the world turned to shit, she would have ambled along at a steady pace, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the birdsong that filled these valleys.

  Not today. Today the sounds of the Variants’ shrieks and howls filled the landscape. Today the sound of a chopper’s blades thumped through the air, the constant rattling crack of its guns firing as the soldiers on board did everything they could to give her and the rest of the Renegades a chance to live another day. Today she was running for her life again. Her muscles protested with every step. The young girl she clasped to her chest sobbed quietly at the loss of her father.

  Dee recognised this part of the track from a previous hike with Jack. She knew the turnoff for the summit was close. And, thankfully, the summit was only ten minutes’ walk away after that. But none of that would matter if they couldn’t survive the next fifteen minutes or so. Dee kept glancing over her shoulder, waiting for the pale skins of the Variants from the complex to cross her vision. When they had blown the tunnel and maintenance room, they’d known it was only going to buy them some time. She wished the explosion had blown the whole lab to smithereens.

  “Keep moving!” she yelled, more to encourage herself than anyone else.