“Rogue! I’m so glad I found you,” Brittany cried, hurrying over. Aret and Sandi were right behind her, their faces pale in the low light. “We just arrived. You?”
“Same here,” Rogue said, relief coursing through her veins. “Do you know where my mother is? Or Ric? Moran? Anyone, really.”
Brittany shook her head. “Sorry, but I just got here, and I’m looking for my mom as well.”
“I haven’t seen Jamie either,” Rogue said. “But Seth has gone looking for them. He told me to wait here.”
“Then, I guess we’ll wait with you,” Brittany said.
The four girls clustered together, a tiny knot among the sea of humanity. They moved toward the nearest wall and exchanged nervous smiles.
“I’ve heard the worst stories about this place,” Sandi said. “It’s called the Shanghai Tunnels for a reason.”
“Oh?” Rogue asked, not sure she wanted to know.
Sandi lowered her voice to a lurid whisper, her eyes wide with simulated horror. “Portland used to be a scary place. It was even named the Forbidden City of the West for a time. Thousands of men were shanghaied every year and forced to work as slaves on the ships. Women were captured and sold as prostitutes in foreign lands.”
“That’s right,” Aret said, butting in. “They used these tunnels to smuggle goods and people in and out. They also ran opium dens and stuff down here.”
“When was that?” Rogue asked.
Sandi shrugged. “Late eighteen hundreds to around nineteen forty, I think.”
“That’s awful. Those poor people,” Rogue said with a grimace of distaste.
Brittany rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to them. It’s not true. They’re just being dramatic.”
“I’m not. It’s the truth, I swear it,” Sandi protested.
Brittany snorted. “The parts about the smuggling of goods and liquor during the prohibition, yes. But not the bit about people being sold into slavery. That never happened.”
“How would you know?” Sandi said, folding her arms across her chest with a huff.
“My mom told me, and she used to be a history teacher before the Shift,” Brittany said.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Rogue said, relaxing a bit. She was not keen on sharing the creepy tunnels with unhappy ghosts from the past.
“Indeed, so let’s drop the scary tales for now,” Brittany replied. “Why don’t we focus on the more important stuff, instead? Like what we’re supposed to do next.”
“I have no idea what to do next. Olivia told me nothing about this place, or even what it’s for,” Rogue said.
“It’s simple,” Brittany said, leaning against the wall. “Years ago, the council decided we needed a safe place to fall back to in case of an emergency. Like now. My mom suggested these tunnels, and a group was sent here to investigate.”
“Go on,” Rogue said, her interest piqued.
“They found the tunnels to be mostly intact and set about making it safe. They shored up the roof, replaced the rotten beams, hid the entrances, and stored a bunch of supplies down here.”
“Yeah, we even have a couple of generators to supply us with power,” Sandi said, pointing at the lightbulbs overhead. “My dad installed them himself.”
At that moment, the lights dimmed, plunging the tunnel into darkness. After a few seconds, they switched on again, and Rogue sighed. “Nice.”
“Well, the stuff is old. There’s not much anyone can do about that,” Sandi said, a defensive note creeping into her voice.
“I know,” Rogue said, flashing Sandi a smile. “I’m sure your dad did his best.”
Sandi relaxed a little, toying with a lock of hair. “Thanks.”
“What time is it? Have we been up all night?” Rogue asked.
“That’s right,” Brittany said. “The sun was starting to show when we arrived. It’s past dawn already.”
Aret stifled a yawn. “Well, I’m getting tired of standing around like this. Seth had better show his face soon, or I’m off.”
“Just give him a chance,” Rogue said, her eyes searching the crowd. Slow minutes passed with no sign of either him or anyone else she knew. Where is he? Where’s Olivia? And Moran?
The day wasn’t turning out as she’d imagined at all. She’d envisioned some temporary shelter. Maybe in a warehouse or an abandoned building. A place where they could regroup and rest while they planned their next move. “How long are we supposed to stay here, anyway?”
“I don’t know. A few days?” Sandi said.
“At least until it’s safe to return to the Zoo,” Brittany added.
“Whenever that’ll be,” Rogue said with a sigh. She wasn’t keen on living underground any longer than necessary.
“What’s that smell?” Aret asked, her nostrils flaring.
“Smell?” Rogue said, distracted from her morbid thoughts. She lifted her head and took a deep whiff of the air. It reeked of smoke. “Maybe someone lit a fire?”
“Down here? Now?” Aret said with a frown. “Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
“There are air vents,” Sandi offered. “The engineers made sure of that.”
“Yeah, but still. This seems like a lot of smoke for one small fire,” Rogue said, alarm bells going off in her head.
As they looked around, the smell became stronger. It wasn’t long before a faint white haze filled the space, and Rogue’s heart jumped in her chest. “Something’s wrong.”
At that moment, distant cries reached their ears. The crowd shifted, turning in on itself. Within seconds, a wave of people rushed inward from the nearest entrance. Rogue and her group clung to each other, pushed back and forth by the sea of bodies.
“What’s going on?” Brittany said, her eyes wide with fright.
“I don’t know,” Rogue said, pressing her back to the wall.
Sandi screamed as she lost her footing, and Rogue scooped her up in the nick of time. “Careful.”
“Thanks,” Sandi muttered, clinging to her arms. “This is crazy.”
Rogue looked at the girls, noting their fear. They were younger than her, hovering on the verge of adulthood. She was the oldest one there and in charge, whether she liked it or not. Nor could she afford to wait for Seth, Ric, Jamie, or Olivia. It’s up to me—no one else.
Turning to Brittany, she said, “Wait right here. I’ll try to find out what’s going on.”
“No, stay with us. It could be dangerous,” Brittany said.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rogue said. “I’ll be careful, and the entrance isn’t far.”
Brittany hesitated before nodding. “Okay, but hurry up, or we’ll come looking for you.”
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Rogue said with as much reassurance as she could muster. As she hurried away, she hoped it was the truth. Who knew what was going on outside?
She pushed through the throng of panicking people, fighting against the flow with all her might. It wasn’t easy, and she received a couple of nasty blows to the ribs along the way. A wagon nearly crushed her foot, and she jumped aside in the nick of time. “Whoa, watch it, buddy!”
Finally, the press thinned, and she was able to gain the entrance. But a guard blocked her way, his expression stern. “Go back, Miss. You’re not allowed outside.”
“I just want to take a quick look,” she said with her most winning smile.
The guard did not return her smile. Instead, he refused her request point-blank. “No. I have my orders. Get back inside right now. It’s for your own safety.”
“Damn it,” Rogue muttered below her breath, but she didn’t give up. Not yet.
She hovered inside the opening as the last few people trickled in. When a cart piled high with supplies lumbered past, she slipped outside. Ducking around the guards, she headed for a thick knot of trees and lost herself in the woods.
The smell of smoke was more pungent there, and tendrils of smog wound through the forest. Rogue tilted her head toward the sky. Tall trees blocke
d her view, however, and she scanned the area for a lookout point. A mound of rocks and boulders provided the perfect platform, and she ran toward it.
Small and agile, the rocky outcrop posed no trouble for her. She was used to climbing and often used the rooftops of Prime to travel in safety. Her fingers sought out cracks for handholds while her legs pushed her ever upward until she reached the top.
Tossing her leg over, Rogue levered her body onto the final ledge. She coughed as smoke filled her lungs, and her eyes watered from the sting. With one hand, she pulled her shirt over her mouth and peered into the distance.
Rogue caught a glimpse of the horizon through a break in the trees and craned her head for a better look. The sun was well up in the sky, affording good visibility. But the sight that met her eyes was one she’d rather have missed. Death was coming their way, and it was the color of blood: blood and fire.
Chapter 3
Glaring streaks of red, orange, and yellow lit the skies, and roiling banks of ash and smoke filled the atmosphere. The land across the river was ablaze, the primordial forest igniting into an apocalyptic holocaust.
The Zoo!
Instantly, Rogue realized that the settlement was gone. Nothing could withstand such a destructive force. She shook her head, unable to believe her eyes. Yet, the sight could not be denied, nor could the sense of helplessness that kept her paralyzed. The world, their home, was burning, and she could do nothing but watch.
What about Olivia and Ric? Jamie, Brittany, Aret, and Sandi. Everything they’d worked for was gone. A thousand memories offered up to the heavens on an altar of ash. What would they do now? Where would they live? The Shanghai tunnels were meant to be a temporary refuge, not a permanent home.
It had to be Sikes, of course. Who else would be crazy enough to start a fire in a forest? Who else could sanction such wanton destruction? The image of Bones pushed to the forefront of her mind. He was as much to blame as Sikes was for leading them to the Zoo, and for kidnapping her in the first place.
Rage exploded throughout her body, and her cheeks grew hot to the touch. Her hands clenched into fists, and she longed to lash out at something, longed to vent her anger. I’ll kill them. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll kill them both.
But the words echoed through her head without meaning. They were hollow without the ability to enact them. The general was far away and out of reach, probably halfway back to Prime City already. As for Bones, he was either dead, killed by the general for leading him to an abandoned settlement, or…
“Oh, crap. He’s out there somewhere, isn’t he? Stalking me. Looking for me,” Rogue whispered through the cloth pressed against her lips. Bones was far too clever to get caught by the likes of Sikes.
The thought of him out there somewhere sent a shiver crawling down her spine. As much as she hated Bones, she also feared him. Whatever his faults were, the man was strong, resilient, and resourceful. It would not do to underestimate him. I have to get back to the others. I shouldn’t be out here alone.
Rogue glanced at the ground. It was a long way down, and people would be looking for her. Still, she didn’t move right away. Instead, she watched with morbid fascination as the conflagration turned everything in its path to ashes.
Even at that distance, she could hear the crackle of flames. Pine trees exploded as the sap within them reached a boiling point. The trumpeting roars of panicking dinosaurs caused her to wince. How many of them would die that day? Hundreds? Thousands?
The haze of smoke grew thicker, and Rogue began to cough despite her makeshift bandana. Wildfire raced across the ground toward the Willamette River, and she held her breath. The only thing that could stop it now was the water. If it managed to cross over, the Shanghai tunnels could quickly become a death trap. I should warn someone. No, everyone.
Before she could move, several creatures burst from the canopy not far from her. They were huge with wingspans upward of twenty feet and crested heads with long, beaked jaws. Provoked by the smell of smoke and the sound of oncoming disaster, the panicked flyers tore through the sky, intent on only one thing: Escape.
Rogue stared at the flying lizards and noted their characteristics. They were Pteranodons, and while they weren’t flesh-eaters, they were plenty dangerous to humans. Plus, they were headed straight for her. Oh, shit!
She dropped to her knees and folded her arms over her head, prepared for the worst. A whirling tornado enveloped her perch. Membraned wings buffeted her from every direction, and raucous caws pierced her eardrums. Sharp beaks cut through the flesh of her hands, and she lashed out blindly. Her fist encountered a warm body, and a surprised Pteranodon squawked as it veered away.
Another knocked her off her knees, and she struggled to maintain her balance on the ledge. A battle that was lost when a large wing swept her over the edge. Rogue shrieked as she slid downward in a shower of grit and sand. She scrabbled for a handhold, the sharp rocks shredding her fingertips as she gained momentum.
Her hand closed over a protruding tree root, and she came to an abrupt stop, clinging to the rocky outcrop. Through tear-filled eyes, Rogue glanced down. Her stomach churned with horror. She was still halfway up, high enough to ensure a couple of broken bones should she fall. At least the smoke was thinner down here, and she could breathe even though it stung a little.
With a determined grunt, she latched onto the root with her other hand and looked for a way down. A narrow crack in the rock offered hope, and she edged toward it using her toes. The crack appeared solid enough to hold her weight, and she shoved her closed fist inside.
Suddenly, the tree root pulled free from the stone wall, its tenuous hold disintegrating into dust. Rogue screamed as she fell, only to be pulled up short when her fist jammed inside the crack.
With her entire body dangling in the air, she fought against the tidal wave of fear that threatened to undo her sanity. If she opened her hand, she’d fall, and it wouldn’t be pretty. She’d be a sitting duck to any passing predator that smelled the blood from her wounds. Come on, Rogue. Get a hold of yourself.
With a determined grunt, she reached for a bulbous rock with her free hand. She latched onto it and looked down again. A narrow rim provided a foothold, and she managed to secure her position on the rock face. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and breathed. The panic from earlier receded, and she was able to think with clarity once more. Get going before you’re too tired. Move your ass.
Opening her closed fist was an exercise in terror, but Rogue forced herself to do it. Utilizing every ounce of skill she possessed, she climbed further down. The ground rose toward her, and hope blossomed in her chest. Just a little bit further.
A couple of seconds later, she grew aware of a trembling sensation. At first, she thought it was her muscles. I must be getting tired. I’d better hurry up.
But it grew stronger and stronger until her entire body shook like a leaf in the wind. The vibrations ran through the rock until her teeth chattered. “What the hell?”
With a thundering crash, a herd of dinos smashed through the trees. When they hit the outcrop, the group split in two. Like a river, they washed around the obstacle in a tangle of heads, limbs, and torsos.
Rogue clung to the wall like a leach, staring at the spectacle with wide-eyed fascination. She’d never seen so many dinosaurs in one place before, or so many different species acting together. As one, they stampeded through the forest, fleeing from the destruction across the river.
A Lambeosaurus smashed into the wall, and Rogue closed her eyes as the entire outcrop shook from the force of the blow. One of her footholds crumbled, and she almost fell. Horror poured through her veins like sludge as she frantically searched for a better grip—anything to prevent her from falling into the churning mess below. Holding on by her fingertips, she felt around with her free foot.
The Lambeosaurus struggled to stand upright, bugling with fright. Its tail lashed the air, hitting the wall numerous times before it regained its feet. Each t
ime, Rogue feared it would be the last straw, and her fragile hold would fail. But, her luck held. With a final bellow, the dino merged with its brethren, and she heaved a sigh of relief.
Her searching toes found a crack, and she managed to secure her position. All she had to do now was hold on, no matter how tired her arms and legs grew. Hope rose in her chest as the herd thinned, and she prayed they’d soon be gone. Don’t let go. Don’t let go. Don’t let go.
Rogue repeated the words over and over like a mantra. At first, it sustained her, but as the minutes passed, her despair grew. I can’t hold on much longer.
Sweat poured from her brow and stung her eyes. It trickled down her back and pooled beneath her armpits, evidence of her growing fatigue. Her fingers grew numb, and her muscles shook. Every fiber of her being longed to let go. Just let go.
As the last Triceratops huffed and puffed its way past her perch, Rogue let go. It felt like she fell forever. The scenery streamed past her in slow motion. But in reality, it only took a second.
Rogue hit the ground with stunning force, enough to knock the wind out of her. She gasped for air, but nothing happened. She could not breathe. Panic set in, and she flopped around like a fish on dry land. Breathe!
She thumped her chest with a fist, again and again until her body spasmed and precious oxygen flooded her lungs. A bout of nausea followed. Like a cat with a hairball, she hacked up the contents of her stomach.
Everything hurt, especially her head, and Rogue became aware of a growing sense of dizziness. She pressed one hand to the back of her head, and it came away wet. She stared at the crimson stain on her palm, confused. “Is that blood?”
Darkness swooped in, and she collapsed face down on the ground. Her last thoughts were about Seth. He’s going to be so pissed when he finds out I’m gone, she mused with a wry chuckle. And then… nothing.
The Extinction Series | Book 4 | Primordial Earth 4 Page 2
